Groove

Hal glanced at Sam as she rested her head on his shoulder. It felt so good to have someone want to be physically close to him. The more time he spent with her, the more time he wanted to spend with her. Was she... really someone special or was he just that lonely? His own enthusiasm to pursue this relationship frightened him deep down. They really hadn't known each other all that long, but within the last couple days alone, he'd completely opened up his heart to her. Was he just setting himself up for a hard fall later?

Slipping his arm around her shoulders, he kissed the top of her head. "Good. Maybe we'll have to have more like this." He finished the last couple sips of his wine and set the glass aside on the railing before sighing with content.

"Wanna move inside or stay out here?"


Pete whistled as he wandered the dim floor, heading to his cubicle for his travel mug that he'd left here earlier. Everyone was gone for the night, leaving it eerily quiet in the Elite building. Just arriving to his space, he stopped as his nose caught a whiff of something. Heat? Smoke? He bypassed his original goal and wandered to the hall instead. Light was coming from the break room. Ty or Aaron? He took a deep breath and covered the distance to the break room. As soon as he'd rounded the corner, Aaron spun around from the stove, spatula in hand - ready to throw it if necessary.

"Hey, whoa." Pete held up his hands. "Just checking to see who was up and about."

Aaron's eyes narrowed. "Uh-huh." He gave Pete a once-over. "What? No gun tonight? Brave man."

Pete rolled his eyes and wandered in a couple steps. "Look, maybe I was a little too hasty the other day." He shrugged. "I heard an explosion, saw you, and I reacted. You of all people can understand reacting without thinking."

Aaron wasn't sure what to make of Pete's new attitude, so he simply turned back to his skillet, flipping the pieces of bread.

Pete leaned on the back of a chair as he replayed Sam's words in his head. He'd meant to say something to Aaron sooner but just hadn't gotten around to it. "I... apologize for not giving you the benefit of the doubt before. I guess it's just hard getting used to all the changes around here and... there's a lot of mistrust wrapped up in Agency issues."

Aaron remained silent. Did Pete have an angle? Was he being genuine? That was hard to believe after recent events.

Pete waited then finally just sighed. "Alright, well... goodnight."

"Hey."

Pete stopped at the door and turned. "Yeah?"

Aaron looked over his shoulder at him. "Want a piece of french toast?"

Pete quirked an eyebrow. His dinner plans with Nikki had been canceled, and he hadn't eaten supper yet. "French toast, huh? Any good?"

Aaron smirked. "Eat it and I'll accept your apology."

Pete wandered closer to take a look. "What did you put in it?"

"Arsenic." Aaron smirked at him. "Eggs. What do you think?" He grabbed a plate and put a piece of finished bread on it. "Syrup's on the table."

Pete had little choice but to accept the plate, and sat down at the table, just a bit leery. It would be fine... right? He started for the butter.

"Won't need that," Aaron advised. 

Pete sighed and went ahead and took a bite without even any syrup just to prove he did need the butter. As it hit his tongue though, his eyebrows rose. "Hey... this is really good."

Aaron shut off the stove and sat down across from him with his own couple pieces of toast and poured just a little syrup on them. "I wouldn't​ make something bad for my own supper."

"This isn't just eggs and milk is it?"

"Nope."

"So...?"

Aaron chewed a bite and shook his head. He wasn't willing to share all his secrets.

Pete grinned and simply took another bite. The table remained quiet until his piece was gone, and he finally stood again to rinse his plate. "Thanks... it really was good."

"Be better if there had been some bacon around here."

Pete chuckled. "Maybe I can do something about having a better variety kept in the fridge. That would be Susanne's department and she can get funding for anything out of Reese."

Aaron was still eating, and looked up at Pete, just studying him for a few moments. His face finally relaxed enough to offer a half smile. "Okay."

"Alright well... I better go."

Aaron pointed his fork at a leftover slice of french toast by the stove. "I made too much."

Pete hesitated then smiled. He grabbed the extra piece and folded it in half to just eat it with his fingers as he walked out, giving Aaron a wave as he went.

Left alone, Aaron paused his eating and simply sat in the quiet for a few minutes. He really wasn't sure what had just happened but... he didn't think it was bad. It kinda felt... good.


Eli covered his ears, shaking his head. "Lalalala...."

Jett snickered. "What? Don't like hearing about your sister making out?"

"No!" Eli threw Ryan a smirk, though his eyes were twinkling. "Just... here." He threw her a headset and Hunter one too. "Jett's idea. So I can tell at you all. Now get your butts in your cars before I decide you're too dense to do this."

Zan grinned and gave Destiny's shoulder a little squeeze. "Have fun. See you in a bit."

He aimed for his car, while Hunter got in his own too, and Jett got in the loaner. Once they all figured out how they could hear and talk to each other, they headed a short distance away.

"There's an old dead tree straight out," Eli directed. "That can be the turning point like the normal track. Jett, head on out. You other three wait until he's about halfway to the curve, then go out, box him in and slow him down."

Hunter kept a close eye on Ryan's car beside him as he drove and listened. "Who takes lead?"

"Zan. This is his show."

Zan rolled his eyes. "Thanks. No pressure."

The three pulled off to the side to wait, while Jett took off for the tree. He was the only one without a headset since it was his job to avoid them anyway, just like Thunder might do. He picked up speed - which wasn't as much as the race cars, but enough to kick up a nice cloud of dust as he sped for the tree.

"Alright guys..." Eli squinted in the sun. "Now. Go get him." He wasn't sure which was worse. Their start, the awkward maneuvering, how they failed to catch up to Jett before he'd already headed back to the start, or how Ryan and Hunter couldn't seem to decide who should go right or left.

As the cars slowed and prepared for another go at it, Eli looked at Destiny with a wry grin. "And this is why I suggested we practice. They can't even catch a non-racer in an old beater."

"We can still hear you!" Hunter complained. "We just gotta find our groove, that's all."


Gunner gave Bree a little crooked grin. "I think I'd like to take you with me wherever I go. I mean... obviously I've felt that way for a while now." He'd asked her to marry him after all, even if he couldn't remember it. 

Her suggestion to abandon his utensils brought another smile to his lips. "And I won't tell anybody you suggested it." He gave up the fork and reached for a bean. His fingers still weren't wanting to cooperate all that well though, and maneuvering a bean wound up almost as hard as wielding a fork. 

He finally got hold of one though and was very glad since his stomach had started to growl - loudly. Almost to his mouth, and he squeezed too hard. He'd already added butter, making the beans rather slippery, and now with the pressure, the bean shot right out of hand hand. It flew into the air like a rocket, landing on the tiles floor with a quiet splat. 

Gunner's eyes had gone wide and he blinked before daring a look at Bree. "Oops."

Kidnap

Dinner was just as good at it smelled and even better. The chat was light and she enjoyed it with Hal. It seemed after that first kiss a whole new world had opened to them. They had so much to talk about now, and there was no need to hide how they felt. It was nice.

As Hal motioned for her to come over with him Sam stood and took her wine wondering over. Looking out over everything it was nice. Feeling Hal close to her Sam moved a little and leaned her head on Hal's shoulder. 

   "I am having a wonderful night. The best I have in a long time."

Taking the binoculars from Eli Destiny nodded. She knew she would need them to see the cars, or she could just follow the dust clouds. 

   "I can definitely do that."

Seeing Jett Destiny gave him a wave. Hearing his comment though she cringed just a little. She wasn't sure what he meant by she was still around but for something reason, it didn't settle with her. She tried to let it go, he was more than likely just joking.

Pulling up alongside Hunter it really did feel good to drive her own car. She had missed it more than she let on, and maybe more than she even realized herself till actually getting behind the wheel again. 

Getting out of the car and putting her sunglasses on the top of her head she smirked at Hunter.

   "Party...I could go for some part food, and stuff. Then again racing is just as fun."

Hearing her brother comment she nodded her head before elbowing Hunter.

   "I was going to but Hunter kidnapped me. It was just horrible I tell you...Kisses and all."

Laughing Bree put another fry in her mouth just listing to Gunner and taking him in. It was nice to see him smile and to hear a little cheer in his voice. This is how he was when they first got together and she had missed it. Even if he couldn't remember yet she was just happy to see a little spark of his old self back.

   "I have to admit flying has got to be better than walking, but if you fly away you have to promise to take me with you."

Seeing he was having a hard time using his fork Bree gave him a soft smile. Leaning in close she whispered.

   "You can use your fingers to eat, I promise I won't tell."

Bats

Hal turned to Sam and smiled as he lifted his glass to hers. "To us." Pausing just as moment to watch her eyes, he finally took a sip and nodded. "Mm... it's been a while since I've had a good glass of wine." He sighed and looked at his plate. "And now... I am positively starving." 

Their work had paid off and the food tasted just as good as it had smelled. Conversation was light, the breeze was warm, and by the time their plates were empty, stars were dotting the night sky. Hal wandered to the railing to lean on it and looked out over the city, absentmindedly swirling the last bit of wine in his glass. Overall, he was happy here. Sometimes it was a pain being on the top floor, but on nights like this, it was worth it.

Glancing over his shoulder at Sam, he gestured with his head for her to join him. As she did, he remained leaning on the railing, but moved so his shoulder was against hers. With the music still playing softly in the background, the lights below, and the moon overhead, it was almost too perfect out here to be true. "I... hope you're enjoying this evening as much as I am."


Hunter liked Ryan's idea, and nodded. "You're right. There are a lot of good people there.  And as much as I recognize Dylan's more mature than he should be, I gotta remember he'd be okay in a crowd like that." He chuckled. "I just don't want Mick strangling me."

Finally standing up, he sighed and stretched. "Okay. Off we go. I'm ready to get my fast on."


Eli smiled and dismounted his bike before reaching in his saddlebag and pulling out a pair of binoculars. "Extra eyes are always good," he agreed. "Here." He handed her the binoculars. "You can help me keep an eye on these crazy drivers." 

As if on cue, a car appeared on the road, turning off into the sand to park near them. It was Jett in Tony's loaner. Getting out, he put his sunglasses up on his head and grinned at the other three. "Afternoon." Seeing Destiny, his smile widened. "Hey! You're still around!" He ambled over and gave her a teasing once-over before looking at Zan and quirking an eyebrow. 

Zan responded by shoving his shoulder. "Knock it off."

"I didn't say anything!"

"You didn't have to."

Jett just kept smiling and turned to go back to the car. "Got something for you guys," he mentioned as he reached inside and pulled out a shopping sack then handed it over to Eli. 

Confused, Eli looked inside and pulled out one of four lightweight headsets with an earpiece and microphone. "You bought these?"

"Eh. Clearance down at the electronics store." Jett shrugged. "Range is a mile - it was a smoking deal. I thought you all could keep in contact while you're practicing - or heck, during the race if you wanted."

Eli tossed one of the packages to Zan. "I think this is a brilliant idea. You're pretty smart."

Zan smirked. "Yeah, even I'm surprised."

"Ha. ha." Jett leaned back on the hood of the junker car, unamused. "Those other clowns coming?"

Eli chuckled. "Speak of the devils..." 

Hunter pulled up alongside Zan's car, glancing over as Ryan pulled up beside him, too. Slipping out, he threw his arms in the air. "Let the party begin!" 

Eli rolled his eyes but grinned over at Ryan. "Yo, Speedy! Thought you mighta decided to work the rest of the afternoon instead of playing out here with the boys."


"So then I told her if she didn't let me speed up, I's gonna stop right there and suck her blood. Shoulda seen the look on her face." Gunner grinned as he sat up in the hospital bed and told Bree about earlier that morning when the nurse had gotten him up and walking for a little while. 

He stabbed a green bean clumsily with a fork. "Told her just 'cause I can't feed myself doesn't mean I can't walk." He smirked as he got his fork halfway to his mouth when the bean slipped off and fell back onto the tray. "Besides, don't vampires turn themselves into bats?" He quirked an eyebrow at Bree, ignoring the bean. "That means I could fly and I wouldn't have to walk these darn halls anymore."

Toast

Laughing Sam went back to cutting the vegetable. She thought it was actually cute that Hal really didn't know what he had put in. She wondered if maybe just going with what you thought would be good really did make it good in the long run.

Continuing the light chat and swaying to the music dinner was ready before Sam even realized it. Getting the plates and making sure the wine was poured she followed Hal out back to the deck. Sitting and taking in the view Sam was almost in awe. It was so pretty and might not be fancy but it was romantic and perfect.

   "I don't mind at all this is perfect."

Looking at Hal and smiling Sam glanced back out to the flickering lights of the city. It was funny how a person sometimes never could think something could look so nice till they could look at it with someone else.

Picking up her wine glass she held it up to Hal and smiled cocking her head at him. Her eyes twinkled in the night light as she looked at Hal and took in his face. 

   "To us, and a perfect night."

Watching as they got farther and farther out of town Destiny just took everything in again. This time at least it was day out so she could see everything better. Where they were going wasn't the normal track but it still kind of gave her an idea of things.

Getting to the location and getting out Destiny came up along side Zan and smiled when she saw Eli. She remembered him from the other night and gave him a little wave. 

   "Hey! I didn't really have anything better to do today so I figured maybe having another set of eyes would be good."

   "Oh we will. I'me not giving up on that easily."

Ryan grinned at Hunter. He was stuck with her now. She was into deep and had fallen too hard for him to just give Hunter up like that.

Listening to Hunter talk about Dylan more Ryan gave a nod. She understood what Hunter was saying. She new Dylan's situation was different, but she had been on the side when growing up fast was a must. After her father had passed away her whole world had changed so she understood.

   "Well...if you are racing I'll sit out to be with Dylan and he can hang out with my group. I be he would get along with Leo and then there is Zan's new friend Destiny she might be a good person for him to be around too. Despite all the bad, there really is the good groups too."

Finishing off what she could eat of her chicken Ryan set her napkin down on the rest. Normally she would bring it home but since they weren't going right home she didn't bother. Leaning back in her chair she smiled across the table at Hunter. 

   "Yeah...he gets antsy more than me. We better go."

Cozy

Hal let the meat cook just a few more seconds before setting it aside so it could cook the rest of the way with the vegetables once they were ready. Wiping his hands again, he gave Sam a blank look at her question. "Um..." He pushed aside some of the vegetables on the counter to reveal the spice containers. He pointed at one, then another, then bit his lip. "Um..." He ran his hand over his mouth before laughing. "Those?" He threw Sam a crooked grin. "I guess I just threw whatever in without thinking. I sorta do that most of the time. But!" He held up a finger. "If it smells good, I'm sure it'll taste good... We can hope anyway." 

After grabbing another knife, he helped cut the rest of the veggies, then had Sam cook them down a bit before directing her to add the meat and let it all simmer together. The thin pasta was chosen, and Hal also made sure Sam helped him toast some of the bread in the oven after brushing it with melted butter and garlic. By the time the food was all ready, it smelled so good in the apartment that stomachs were growling. 

"Okay..." Hal pulled the bread from oven. "You can grab some plates. Oh, and wine glasses are up in the top left cupboard. Don't set the table though." He grinned. "We're going to dine outside tonight." 

After filling their plates and pouring the wine, Hal led the way carefully out onto the patio. It was almost dark by now, and the city lights could be clearly seen from this rooftop view. Hal had arranged the furniture earlier so the two chairs were next to each other at the little round table. Settling down with Sam, he gave her a sidelong glance. "I hope this is alright with you. It's... not fancy, but it's cozy and kinda neat when the stars come out."


Zan smiled again and finished chewing his mouthful. "Don't thank me yet... the day is far from over, ya know." He winked, fishing for another smile from her. 

It didn't take them too long to finish their meal, and it was time to head out to the desert. They'd all decided on a spot away from the normal racing area just in case anybody would happen to stop by. They didn't want any spectators since so far they'd been able to keep this whole thing under wraps. Arriving, they weren't quite the first ones there. 

Parking, Zan got out and waited for Destiny before ambling over to the motorcycle. "Afternoon."

"Hey." Eli sat astride his bike and nodded his greeting. Catching sight of Destiny, his eyebrows rose a little more. "Oh well hi there, Destiny. Come to watch the show?"


"I dunno." Hunter nudged Ryan's foot back a little harder. "I just wanna make sure we've still got our own time together." 

He nodded thoughtfully as he considered Dylan. "Yeah... yeah, he does seem a lot older than eighteen doesn't he?" He'd told Ryan some things about him when they'd been at the ranch, but the young man's situation still went a lot deeper than most people would imagine. "I'd say he needs to just be a kid, but I think the time for that has passed. I think he's just been through too much to be able to go back." Eating his last bite of beef, he nodded again. "He might like seeing a race or two. Long as we made sure he stayed outta trouble. Most folks around there wouldn't appreciate a teenager hanging around, but they prolly wouldn't even realize he's that young anyway." He nodded again and smiled. "Yeah... it would be fun to bring him along." 

Downing the rest of his water, he glanced at his watch again and sighed. "Well... I suppose we should get on out there before we start hearing from your brother."

Older

Sam smiled as she grabbed one of the knives that were on the counter and then the red peppers. She could cut things, she couldn't mess that up she thought to herself but giggles out loud. Bumping him a few time with her arm she liked seeing this playful side of him. 

   "The music has to match the mood, so good choice."

Moving from the peppers to the carrots Sam started to cut in tune with the music. She felt super comfortable here and really enjoyed Hal's company. Being close to him at work was nice, but it was those moments they truly were alone that were even better. She hoped this feeling would never wear away the more time they spent together.

   "Mmm...it smells good already. What spices did you throw in there?"

Hearing she made Zan smile it made Destiny feel good. She liked knowing the Zan truly liked spending time with her and she could make him just feel good. As he food came she smiled looking down at her salad with chicken and all the salad fixings. It looked really good.

   "I get cravings sometimes too and if I don't get it well...it's not pretty."

Taking a bit of her salad it tasted better than it looked. This was definitely a good idea for a place. Looking at Zan again and smiling she nodded her approval. 

    "This was a good idea. I know I already said it once but thank you. I'm feeling better."

   "Why would I mind?"

Ryan smiled at Hunter as she tapped his foot under the table. She liked Dylan he seemed like a good kid, and a lot older then he was. It was going to be different having someone around with Hunter but she knew everything would be ok and work out. 

   "I like Dylan and I think he'd fit in with us ok. He seems a lot older than he is so I don't see it being an issue at all. Maybe he'd even like to come hang out at the races and see you race."

Epic

"Hey!" Hal chuckled as Sam plucked the pepper from his mouth, and returned her kiss. Chewing on the rest of the pepper, he glanced over his shoulder. "I didn't know if you liked wine either," he admitted wryly, and looked at the bottle she'd brought. "Mm... good choice." 

He nodded her over to the counter. "Of course you can help - you said you wanted to, so there's no way I'm letting you off that easy." He nudged her teasingly with his shoulder. "My goal is stir fry, so you can start working on cutting up the veggies. I... already started on the green pepper as you can see." He grinned as he put a handful of the freshly cut beef into the frying pan, sending it sizzling before he added some spices the wiped his hands on the dish towel he had over his shoulder. "Now, we can have this over rice, or I've got some angel hair pasta - that will be your pick though. I've got some Italian bread we can toast with some garlic and butter, too." 

As the background music swelled, he tossed the meat in the frying pan more dramatically. Pausing, he stuck his head over Sam's shoulder and spoke in a low voice. "Epic music for an epic kitchen experience." Only after giving her neck a playful kiss did he straighten up again and concentrated on the food before he burned something.


Zan could feel a little heat coming to his face as he smiled back at Destiny. "Aw... I'm only me 'cause I wouldn't know how to be anybody else." Her touch to his hand sent little tingles all the way up his arm, making his smile widen. Maybe... maybe this was what he'd been missing in his life. "You make me smile too," he added softly.

As their waitress came with their food, he was forced to pull away and sit up straight again, tossing Destiny a quick wink. And this time... he offered to pray for the food before they ate.

Biting into his sandwich, he sighed with content. "Mm... that's what I wanted." He grinned a little sheepishly. "I sorta get cravings," he admitted. "And today it was crispy chicken on a sandwich just like this."


"Oh yeah, definitely." Hunter nodded. "I've figured out how to beat Thunder on the course, but he's still a dirty player and he doesn't belong out there. I'm afraid if he sticks around too long, we're gonna lose the good people, attract more like him, and the whole thing is gonna go to pot." He shrugged. "Which... wouldn't be good for multiple reasons. More riffraff could mean some attention from the cops." As long as everyone behaved themselves for the most part, the law left them alone. But if anything went awry, they'd be in trouble. 

Hunter glanced at his watch as he sipped his water. They still had time to relax while they ate, no problem. He was just ready to say something more when his phone buzzed and he checked his messages. "Dylan," he commented. "They're making good time, but prolly won't wind up in town til around midnight tonight. I figured as much." He paused to text Dylan back before returning his phone to his pocket. "I'll have to feel him out once he's here but I figure maybe we could show him a good time a few nights or something - if you don't mind, that is. "

...Well With Beef!

Getting up to the door of the apartment Sam sucked in a deep breath. She felt a little nervous tonight. She wasn't too sure why but she was. It wasn't a bad nervous more of an excited nervous. She was dressed in her jeans, and a denim over shirt the was unbuttoned with a black t-shirt under it.  Sam had stopped on the way and grabbed a bottle of red wine.

Knocking on the door she waited a second before walking in. Wondering to the kitchen and seeing Hal working away she smiled. She was sure he looked good just about doing anything. 

   "Hey!"

Coming over to him she took the pepper from his mouth giving him a quick kiss and then returning the pepper again. Setting the wine down she took of wiff of what was cooking and couldn't help the growl in her stomach. Everything sure did smell good already.

   "I wasn't sure if you liked wine or not but I thought a nice red wine would go well with beef. Anything I can help with?"

Feeling Zan's hand on her own Destiny didn't pull away. His touch was light, soft, caring and she welcomed it. It was nice to have someone who really did care, and meant it. There was just something about Zan she could tell was genuine. 

   "No, I do still want to come tonight. You make me smile when I am around and...I need that right now."

Turning her hand over to feel Zan's palm with her hand she just looked at it for a long moment. He was different, but different was good and she liked him even more for that. Letting her fingers intertwine with his, she held it and looked up at him with a grin.

   "How did I get so lucky to meet you that day? Thank you for...just being you."

   "Oh yeah, I think he'll fit in good at the shop as long as he can deal with the other guys."

Just watching Hunter as he got lost in thought Ryan wondered what he was thinking about. Maybe he was his own money situation he was considering. She wondered what he was going to do about that but hadn't asked. She just wanted him to be ok, and able to take care of himself.

   "I think everyone will be a lot happier after Thunder is gone. Even you maybe?"

Distraction

Hunter's eyebrows rose, and a smile spread on his lips. No wonder Ryan hadn't seemed so upset about Axel the last few days. "Well that's great. I'm thrilled for him and you both." He chewed another bite and nodded thoughtfully. "That might mean Zan will still have a job there too. I think he was gonna go in tomorrow for an interview. He's getting pretty low I think. Money-wise, I mean, after losing his main job then having to sink most all he had into car repairs. I don't think your brother's gonna charge him for this recent paint job though." It wasn't anything custom, but at least the car looked decent now. 

He nibbled on another piece of broccoli, then went for a piece of shrimp instead. He'd been thinking a lot about his own finances and was still undecided on what to do. He only made enough to survive because he was a betting man. Even when he didn't race, he usually chose a winner. Racing without betting, you only profited if you won - and the amount only depended on the number of racers. Even in the third level though, it only cost a hundred dollars to enter, which meant the pot might not be much at all in the end. Higher stakes came every once in a while if a couple racers went head-to-head, but it had been decided a long time ago that the normal races wouldn't go too high, just to make sure enough people could keep participating. 

Realizing he'd fallen into a stare, Hunter snapped back to attention and speared another piece of shrimp to bite it off the end of his fork. "Anyway... I think getting rid of Thunder will be a good boost for Zan. He's worked hard at getting this far and deserves to get back out there."


Zan frowned, hearing about Destiny's ex. He couldn't imagine before what kind of guy he was, and now he sounded even more messed up. How on earth had someone as innocent and sweet as Destiny ended up with somebody like that? It was sad, really.

Zan slid his hand across the table and curled his fingers around hers. "Hey... there's nothing to be sorry about," he assured. "It's no bother. I just feel bad for ya, that's all." He cocked his head, studying her eyes for a moment. "You don't have to come along to the desert today if you don't feel like it. I mean..." He bit his lip, but it didn't hide his sheepish grin. "I don't know if I could ever tire of your company." He chuckled and ran his fingers along hers and over her knuckles. "But I don't want you to feel like you have to come today if you'd rather stay home." If asked, he'd suggest she still come as a distraction, but he didn't think it was his place to say so at this point.


Hal tried his best to concentrate on his work, even though it wasn't easy. But he'd promised Reese those reports, and wound up having to stay even later than Sam. He was bound and determined to get out of there in time to keep their seven o'clock date though, and once free, he made fast time getting home.

After a quick shower, he changed into his comfortable jeans and a clean shirt and socks. By seven o'clock, the kitchen counter was covered with fresh vegetables, spices and dishes, and the frying pan was warming on the stove. Music of choice was an instrumental mix of movie scores to add a little flare to the background, and the patio doors had been left open so the air was fresh. Hal was busy thin slicing some beef and chewing on some raw green pepper, wanting at least a start on dinner before Sam arrived so they wouldn't have to eat too late. He'd left the front door unlocked and had texted her to come on in once she came, in case he didn't hear her knock.

Don't Know

Being totally lost in the moment Sam jumped her she heard Reese over the intercom. As Hal pulled away she couldn't help a grin. It was a big buzz kill but maybe that had been a good thing. Just staying in his lap Sam rubbed his back while Reese talked. Once he was done she finally laughed a little.

   "Seven sounds perfect."

As Hal picked her up Sam held on and leaned her head on his before he put her down. Just smiling at him for several long moments Sam turned going back to her work for now. Her mind was far from it though as she thought about herself and Hal. He was special, more than she could ever ask for and she was lucky.

Finding a table at the little dinner Destiny looked around at all the decor. She had never been here before but it was a cute friendly little place. As long as the food matched the feeling she got being here it would maybe be another new favorite.

Hearing Zan's question Destiny finally looked at him again. Was it really that obvious that something was wrong? It didn't even really matter and yet it still bothered her.

   "Oh everything is ok...I just..."

Destiny was quiet for a second. She didn't want to make Zan feel bad and she hoped she didn't but he did ask and maybe it would make her feel better to talk about it.

   "I got a call about my ex. I guess he is mentally unstable, on the verge of wanting to kill himself and the Elite are going to be transferring him to Northside Hospital instead of him going to prison right away."

Taking her drink Destiny took a long sip. Looking at Zan she tried to give a little smile but she new it was hardly what she had before.

   "I'm sorry to bother you with this... I guess I don't know how I feel. On one hand, I feel bad for him, and on the other, I don't. It's just confusing."

   "Well, at least its someone to fill in to use as that other driver to at least give us a good idea on formation and what not. "

Taking a chunk of her chicken and dipping it in the sweet and sour sauce Ryan poped it in her mouth and chewed it making sure to savor the taste. This afternoon this really tasted good to her. She hadn't had chinese in a while, and maybe it was the good company too.

Finishing her peice and hearing Hunter's comment Ryan thought for a moment. She new Axel hadn't been to ready to tell everyone yet but she wondered if he wouldn't mind if she told Hunter. She did pretty much share everything with him.

   "He did. Come to find out though he wont be leaving. He'd actully going to become my boss. I guess Daryl was looking for someone to take over the shop and well...Axel was the perfect person."

Kinda Quiet

Hal grinned a little at Sam's reactions to his affection, memorizing what she seemed to like most. "Okay," he agreed between more kisses. "How... about-"

"Hal?"

Hal stopped mid-kiss with his lips still on Sam's as Reese's voice came over the phone's intercom.

"Hal, you there?"

He finally withdrew and let his head flop back, closing his eyes. "Yeah?"

"You gonna have those reports finished today? I gotta get my paperwork together for tomorrow."

Hal grimaced. "They'll be on your desk by the end of the day."

"Alright. Thank you."
Click

Hal sighed and slowly lifted his head again, smirking at Sam. "Talk about a buzzkill." His fingers ran lightly around her back. "You. Me. My place. Seven o'clock." He stole another quick kiss before standing, taking Sam with him, and depositing her into her own chair. Sitting back down, he slid over to his desk area and tried to figure out where he'd left off with the paperwork. Focusing was not easy though - not while his heart was still racing and his mind was still four feet away with Sam.


Zan waited patiently for Destiny, and smiled when she reappeared. He wondered if she ever didn't look as pretty as a picture. "Mmm, not really. Although my mouth wants some kind of chicken sandwich. Ever been to Daisy's Diner? Little family-owned place. I think you'd like it." 

He walked out with her and opened the car door for her before going around and getting in behind the wheel. It only took a few minutes to get to the little restaurant that was tucked back off the street where most passersby might even miss it. It had a friendly atmosphere and smelled of good fried food. 

After getting settled and figuring out what they wanted to eat, Zan stirred his ice water absentmindedly with a straw while studying Destiny across the table. She did seem quieter than usual today. He didn't want to pry but... he was a little concerned, just knowing how hard her life had been as of late. "Is, um... is everything ok? You seem kinda quiet." 


"Chinese sounds positively fantastic. Let's invade Tou Han's. We can make a scene there instead." Hunter grinned and put the car in gear, peeling out of the lot with a squeal. It didn't take long to get to the little Chinese place, and soon they were enjoying their meal. 

"I guess Jett did confirm he'll come play a driver today," Hunter mused in between bites of his beef. "Not sure it's quite what Eli had in mind, but it'll have to do." He paused in thought for several moments. "Forgot to ask, did Axel ever... put in his notice at work?" He knew it was a sensitive topic, but did want to know for Ryan's sake.

O.O

As Hal's arms rubbed her back Sam could feel the tingles that ran up and down her spine. She had kissed only a few other people before but this was different. It felt like there was more there than just a high school fling and she liked it.

   "Mmm...I don't have anything..."

Sam gave a little giggle as Hal kissed up her neck and to her ear, her arms tightened around him a little tighter.

   "..dinner sounds great to me...as long as I can try to help."

As Hal moved back to her lips Sam grinned a little just continuing the kiss she didn't care the time that passed, she liked this moment here.

   "Oh yeah, thats fine. I don't mind."

Looking in the mirror in the bathroom Destiny let out a sigh as she put her lip gloss on. Zan was here, she was going out with him she was going to have a good time. She needed to snap out of it before he thought it was him and she ruined anything.

Grabbing her purse and coming back into the living room she gave a smile to Zan. She was as ready as she was ever going to be.

   "Ok, I'm ready I think. Any idea where you wanted to eat?"

Ryan didn't resist as Hunter pulled her down and she returned his kiss with pleasure. Not pulling away right away she just continued the kiss before finally, she did pull away. Going around to the other side of the car Ryan got in and smiled at Hunter.

   "Making a scene could be fun you know!"

Laughing Ryan thought about Hunter's question for a long moment. She had no idea what she was really in the mood for. What hadn't she had in a while?

   "How about Chinese?"

Dinner

Miles and Leo were standing next to each other and watched as Ryan left, both with stupid smiles on their faces. They knew good and well those two wouldn't make it out of the parking lot before kissing.

"Get back to work, will you?" Axel blocked their view and took both their heads, turning them towards the workbench instead. "Pervs." 

They just snickered, but didn't argue. Not with Axel.

Hunter purposely didn't lift his head as Ryan approached, and just looked at her from over the top of his sunglasses. A little grin creased his lips. "Well... if they all thought I was attractive and stampeded my car, that could be rather... awkward. So I'm glad you're the only one that's noticed." 

His grin turned into a full smile and he reached out to grab her collar and bring her down further for a kiss to the lips. "Get in before I make a scene," he teased. "We'll come back to get your car later." Waiting for her to get in the passenger side, he then started the engine but didn't pull away quite yet. "So... what are you hungry for?" 


"No problem." Zan assured Destiny with a smile, although he immediately picked up on something strange. The spark in her eye was dimmer and he could tell right off the bat. He wasn't sure it was his place to ask about it though, so he didn't, and simply came inside. 

Standing near the entryway, he fidgeted with his keys in his hand and spoke loudly so Destiny could hear him from where she'd disappeared down the hall. "Hope you don't mind riding in my own car... I promise I'll drive the speed limits in town." He paused, chewing on the inside of his lip. "She's a little rough, but at least she's finally running again."


As Sam sat in his lap, Hal's arms automatically slipped around her. Feeling her fingers run down his face, his eyes fell closed and he sighed deeply before met with her kiss. He just took in her affection for a few moments before returning the kiss, slowly letting the passion build. His hands trailed up and down her back and he marveled at how it hadn't been his imagination the night before as to how good it felt to have her in his arms. 

"You got... plans..." he mumbled, turning his head the other way. "Tonight?" He kissed her some more then broke it just to kiss up her cheek to her ear, then back to her lips. "You could... come over and... and we could... cook... dinner... together..."

Someone

Time seemed to go by fast and time slipped away from Ryan till Leo mentioned someone being in the parking lot. Turning and looking she grinned shutting the hood of the car she had been working on. She wasn't sure why...but she liked when Hunter met her at work. It gave her a warm feeling.

   "I better go check it out! If I don't come back in five minutes...don't bother looking and I'll see you tomorrow."

Grabbing her jacket Ryan wondered out of the shop and over to Hunter's car. Leaning down an squinting at him she grinned.

   "Guys inside said someone was out here, they failed to mention how good looking he was."

Hanging up her phone Destiny sat on the arm of her couch for a long moment. She had just got the voicemail about Chance and she wasn't sure how she really felt about it. There was a lot of mixed feelings honestly. 

 Hearing a knock on the door Destiny thought for a long moment before remembering Zan was coming to pick her up. Going to the door and opened it and tried to give a little smile.

   "Hey! Sorry, I lost track of time. Just give me a second to get ready."

As Hal ran his hands up her arm Sam felt a tingle and it caused her to giggle a little. His hands felt nice though. Grinning and coming around to the front of him Sam sat down in his lap and ran her fingers down the side of his face. Learning in Sam pressed her lips against Hal's letting her passion just flow through her and reminding him what there was to miss.

Smell of the Shop

Hunter took another sip of coffee and smiled as he got Ryan's response. Whether he saw her face or she sent him a message, it always brightened his day even more. 
You got it.
See ya at noon :) 

He was tempted to text more, but he refrained while she was on the clock. Instead, he finished his coffee then decided he better go grocery shopping before Dylan arrived tonight. Mick had told him that Dylan would be responsible for himself, but that didn't mean he wanted an empty refrigerator. 

By noon, he'd stocked up his kitchen, cleaned up his apartment a bit, cleaned up himself, then headed to the auto shop. Pulling into the lot, he parked then turned to set his arms in the open window and bent to rest his chin on them, watching the open bay doors through his sunglasses.

Spying the car, Leo gestured at Ryan with a wrench. "Don't look now, but I see a race car out there with a suspicious looking driver."


Zan was in his own car again today. Though it still needed some tweaks, and the jerry-rigged used parts would only last so long, it was drivable, and that would at least help accomplish the current goal. After that, he'd have to figure out how to pay back Tony, then work on replacing all the parts held together with duct tape and wire.

Pulling up in front of Destiny's, he parked instead of just waiting for her, and got out to walk to the door. He had on his ripped jeans and there were spots of grease he'd missed on his arms and hands after trying to clean up since finishing up his car that morning. At least he'd brought a clean black tee to throw on, and he hoped Destiny hadn't lied when she'd said she liked the smell of the shop, since that's what she was going to get today. Last he knew, she still wanted to come with to the practice run with the others, but they were going to grab a bite for lunch first. Ringing the doorbell, he stepped back and waited.


After Sam's quick greeting a short while earlier, Hal had hoped Sam would at least be back before the end of the day and... he wasn't disappointed. Grinning, he ran his hands up her arms and turned his head to look up at her. "Mm... I dunno... how about reminding me what I've been missing all day?"

Hawaii

Katie smiled as she leaned her head back again setting her hand on top of Jason's. It was going to be a long ride, but at least there was good company. Letting out a content sigh Katie closed her eyes again. 

The Bahamas...or Hawaii...that's what I choose.

Getting a second to take a break Ryan pulled her phone from her pocket and smiled. She'd been waiting for his text and it always made her smile when he did. It never got old, and she was pretty sure it would.

Lunch would be great. I kinda
was running late this morning
for breakfast. Noon?

Sam smiled and gave a nod. Turning and leaving Sam head back to the security office. Standing in the doorway for a long moment and watching Hal Sam finally stepped in and closed to door behind her. 

Wondering over to Hal she draped her arms over his shoulders. Leaning over his shoulder and placing a kiss on his cheek she smiled.

   "Hey...miss me?"

Good Sense

Hunter was so far gone when Ryan left, that he didn't feel or hear a thing. Later, he would have a vague memory of waking and half wondering why he was on the couch, but then just falling back to sleep. It wasn't until morning that he actually opened his eyes with the foggy recollection that he hadn't been alone when he'd fallen asleep last night. 

Sitting up, he yawned and rubbed his eyes, then noticed the piece of paper. Picking it up and reading Ryan's note, a smile spread on his lips. At least one of them had good sense. He. Was. Blessed. After reading it again, he finally got up, taking it with him. And before going to take a shower, he tucked the note safely into his nightstand drawer...

...Once he was fully up and going and had some coffee in him, he knew by now Ryan had been at work at least an hour or two already. He really did need more of a life than just racing or he was gonna start looking more and more like a bum. Pulling out his phone, he sent her a text, knowing she'd see it whenever she had a break.

Good morning sunshine.
Thanks for the note... :)
Wanna do lunch before
we meet the guys in 
the desert?
My treat...


By the time Sam came back to his room, Aaron was sacked out on his bed, not wanting to admit how sore his leg was after all the activity today. His cheeks felt a little tight, too, and he was pretty sure they'd gotten just a tad bit too much sun. He'd do it again tomorrow in a heartbeat though.

His eyes flew open as Sam came in, and his eyebrows rose at the news. "Serious?" He nodded slowly as the wheels in his mind started working overtime again. "Okay. Well, you know I'll be here."


Dylan snickered and swatted at Katie's hand, but missed. He'd never really interacted much with Katie... and he wasn't sure how much he'd interact with her in Nevada but... she was alright in his book. 

Jason grinned and popped one eye open again at Katie's silent comment. Reaching over, he grabbed her legs and pulled them up on the seat so he could sit diagonally and stretch out his own legs so his feet were in front of her. Setting her legs in his lap, he settled back again and sighed, giving her knees a teasing squeeze.
Uh-huh. Sleeping in sounds like a fantastic idea. Next time you pick the location. Somewhere warm. And tropical. 

He peered over at her again, hiding another grin and just let his hands rest on her legs. Rick was a stickler for seat belts, so this was as close as they could get for the trip back.

Dearest

Being tucked in front of Hunter Ryan sighed with content. It was these moments just comfortable with Hunter that Ryan loved the most. Safe, warm, and like this is where she was meant to be. Even if spending the night again wasn't smart. Focusing back on the TV Ryan watched the movie while it played on. Finally, though her eyes grew heavy and sleep came to her quickly like always. 

A few hours passed and the movie ended, the repeating music woke Ryan. Squinting at the tv Ryan let her eyes adjust before looking over her shoulder at Hunter's sleeping form. Ryan new she should get up and head back home. She didn't want to wake Hunter though. Moving she slid off the couch and found some paper and a pen. 

My dearest Hunter,

   I didn't want to wake you, but I knew I needed to head home. 

Text me when you wake and we will get together tomorrow.

With everything I am,

    Ryan

   "Thank you Sir."

Sam shifted in her chair before standing. She hadn't expected a sit-down today so tomorrow would be fine to her. She was just happy Reese was willing.

   "Tomorrow morning would be perfect. I'll let Aaron know."

Standing and leaving Reese office Sam went back to Aaron's room and knocked on his door. Poking her head in she smiled at Aaron.

   "Tomorrow morning we have a meeting with Reese."

   "Sleeping with your eyes open sounds creepy."

Katie leaned forward and gave Dylan's arm a little slap. Leaning back again she let out a sleepy sigh. Morning really was not her friend anymore. Most people would think getting up at seven was not sleeping in but when you use to get up at four, seven was. 

We need a vacation where we can sleep in you know. 

   

Don't Wake Me Up

Hunter felt like he was melting into Ryan's embrace. How she did that to him was a mystery, but there was no denying it. Just soaking in her affections for the longest time, he absorbed and returned her kisses, wondering how he could possibly be happier. 

Eventually he pulled away and grinned down at her, before rubbing her nose with his. "A fella can have too much of a good thing, ya know..." He sighed and withdrew, pulling her up too, and rooted around in the couch until he had her curled on her side in front of him...just how he liked it. He kissed the back of her head and gently ran his fingers through her hair. "You know I shouldn't let you spend all night again," he whispered and kissed her head again. "But you also know I don't the energy to tell you to leave." Another sigh of content surfaced. "So I'm gonna focus my one-track mind on the movie. And if I fall asleep...." He gave her a squeeze. "...don't wake me up, okay?"


Reese welcomed Sam into his office honestly having been wondering about her today. He had hoped things would go well with Aaron, but had been just a bit concerned with them being out so long. Hearing the outing had gone well, he was pleased. Hearing also Aaron's willingness to talk, Reese's eyebrows rose. "I'm impressed, Sam. Good work." He nodded slowly. "It's a little late in the day for such a heavy discussion. You should be in on it for more than one reason... how about tomorrow? I'll be here all day, except for lunch. Maybe in the morning?" 


Travis was just cutting into a bale of hay when Ashlee came up beside him. Smiling and nudging her back, he closed his knife and put it in his pocket. "Oh, you know... feeding hungry horses." 

He abandoned the hay for a moment so he could turn to her, still smiling. He put a finger under her chin before leaning down and giving her a soft kiss on the lips. "Good morning to you too." There was something in her eyes this morning... it wasn't much... but it resembled a small rain cloud. Travis knew Dylan had left already - was that it? 

"Come on." He handed her a sheet of hay and pulled one out to carry, too. "Soon as we're finished feeding, there's coffee waiting with our names on it."


"How you two doing back there?" Rick glanced in the rearview mirror as he drove.

"Hmm?" Jason stirred from where he'd been leaning in the corner of the back seat, dozing off. "Fine." He opened one eye to look at Katie. "Yep."

Rick grinned. "Little early for you?" He glanced at Dylan in the passenger seat. "I think you're the only one used to these hours."

Dylan gave him a little smirk. "Eh. My sister will tell you I can sleep with my eyes open, so you're never quite sure about me."

Rick chuckled and returned his eyes to the road. It was going to be a long day but worth it.

Dylan sank back a little and watched the passing scenery. Three months wasn't very long, really. But it felt like this he was entering into a whole new world.

Morning

Waking up about an hour later Ashlee just laid on her back for a long moment. She knew she had to get up and get to chores. Finally sitting up the little paper sticking out of her window. Moving to the end of the best slowly and pulling it out Ashlee opened it reading the words wrote.

Reading the words Ashlee could feel a few tears form in her eyes. Dylan was already gone. She knew he wasn't one big on goodbyes but...she didn't get to see him again. She sure was going to miss having him around but maybe time would go fast and she would be able to see him soon then she thought.

Finally getting out of bed Ashlee tucked the letter into her nightstand and got ready for the day. A few moments later she stepped outside her bunk and looked around. Nothing was really different other than knowing Dylan wasn't there. but for some reason...it felt a little lonelier.

Getting to the barn and seeing Travis she smiled going over to him and bumping him with her shoulder.

   "Morning! What are we working on this morning?"

Looking over at Aaron Sam smiled. She has happy he had a nice that. That was her goal with the whole thing was just for him to enjoy himself.

   "You are very welcome. I'm happy you enjoyed yourself."

Getting inside and making sure Aaron was settled Sam wondered to the security room to let Hal know she was back so he didn't worry. Stealing a quick kiss from him she smiled but didn't linger long. She needed to talk to Reese.

Wondering to his office and giving a knock on the room Sam entered hearing him tell her it was ok. Walking in she eased down in the chair across his desk quiet for just a moment. Gathering her thoughts she finally spoke.

   "My outing with Aaron today was good. We also talked a lot and he wanted me to set up a meeting with him and you. I believe he is ready to share information for his freedom."

Ryan laughed again as Hunter started to kiss her neck Ryan wrapped her arms around him. She was good at multitasking but when it came to Hunter it was impossible. 

     "Mmmm...I'd rather just focus on you instead."

Bringing her lips to Hunter's again Ryan let her kiss deepen even more. Just letting her feelings flow through it, showing just how much she truly cared about him.

Good on You

Hunter smirked at Ryan. "Watch a movie and make out? I'm a guy. Guys can only focus on one thing at a time, ya know." Sitting up quickly, he released her and grabbed the remote to hit the play button to start the movie again. After only about five seconds though, he gave Ryan a sidelong glance before turning and flopping down on top of her again to start kissing her neck. 

Coming up laughing, his eyes twinkled. "You go ahead and multitask..." He kissed her lips gently. "I think I found my one thing to focus on." 


Aaron sighed. He knew he couldn't stay out here with Sam all day. And even though he was tempted to push the limits and actually refuse to go back just to see what she'd do... he just... couldn't do that to her. He might not trust anybody else but... maybe he had come to trust her. And she didn't deserve to deal with his temper tantrum.

"Yeah... okay." Back to the Elite. Back to his small room. Back to... no future. He straightened and stood up, trying to loosen up his knee a little. Without saying anything, he grabbed his one crutch and hobbled back to their picnic spot to put his socks and shoes back on and help carry things back to the car.

He was silent on the trip back until they'd reached the parking lot. Looking over at Sam, he pursed his lips a moment before giving her a little nod. "Thanks. I, um... I enjoyed myself today."


It was early. Earlier than chore time. The sky was gray but the sun hadn't shown itself above the horizon yet. Rick had suggested starting out early so they could make the trip in one shot and make it home by evening, and everyone had agreed. 

With his stuff already loaded up, Dylan made his way quietly to one of the bunkhouses, and around the corner to Ashlee's window. He knew she'd still be asleep and... he preferred it that way. He hoped she wouldn't be upset to wake up and find he'd already left but he hated goodbyes. Pulling an envelope from his pocket, he hesitated a moment before tucking it into a little slat in the window pane where Ashlee would see it. Finished with his task, he headed back towards the truck, getting a hug from Sparky, his dad, and even Jade had gotten up early to send him off. 

The little note that Ashlee would find later was handwritten...
Ash,
Had to take off early. Just wanted to say I'll see ya soon. Thanks for looking after Seven for me. If he gets to be a handful, ask Dad or Sparky to give him a workout. He loves apples and carrots. Keep up riding Moonbeam so we can go for a ride when I come back, okay? Stay safe. Have fun. Don't quit smiling... it looks good on you. 
Dylan

Both

   "I don't know have too much company and I might start to get jealous, but I guess that could bring some benefits too."

As Hunter pushed her down on her back Ryan laughed her smile beaming. She still didn't know how she had gotten so lucky with Hunter. His compliment caused color to come to her cheeks as her eyes twinkled. 

   "My beauty just has to keep up with your good looks."

Laughing again she leaned up and kissed Hunter again before pulling away and absentmindedly rubbing his arm with her hand. Looking up at him and searching his eyes. She couldn't even imagen how life would be if he hadn't come into it.

   "We could keep watching the movie, or....we could just keep making out. We could even do both."

   "I'll still get you, your chat with Reese and see what happens."

Watching as Aaron stuck the rest of the ice cream cone in his mouth Sam laughed. No matter what as least he was having a nice time. Really that was all she cared about. She wanted to make sure he saw life as it could be, not what it used to be. Finishing off her own ice cream she sighed with content. 

   "That hit the spot. I guess we are dried off enough to head back now."

Movie

As Ryan ran her fingers through his hair, Hunter's eyes fell shut and he murmured his approval. Returning her kiss just as passionately, he pushed her down on her back and continued his sweet affection for several long minutes. To catch his breath, he pulled away just enough to prop himself up on his elbows, and smiled down at her.

"I should have company more often if this is what I get," he teased. He sighed and just let his eyes linger on hers. Her gaze had so much more life in it now. So much more sparkle. "How do you get more beautiful every day, hmm?" He leaned down to kiss her forehead them drew back, smiling again as he bit his lower lip. "Prolly should let you up so we can finish the movie, huh?"


Aaron rolled his eyes. "Garret gave up everything the minute he walked in there. And now Carson's an agent. That makes them different from me." He shrugged. "Besides all that... I'm really not sure what I could even offer the Elite as a bargaining chip. Garret's got more intel than I do."

He wasn't going back on what he said earlier... he did still want to talk to Reese... he just wasn't so sure how it was going to go, and he was trying to prepare, and all it did was take him in circles. He sighed and bit into the bottom of his ice cream cone. Melted ice cream oozed out a new crack and dribbled onto the bench. He looked at it for a second then glanced at Sam with a wry grin before stuffing the rest of the cone in his mouth so he didn't lose any more of it. It took some doing to actually chew such a big mouthful, but he did manage - and with only one brain freeze.


Garret grinned a little and nodded. "Okay. I, um... I'm not sure how long I could survive without Laura's cooking. I've... gotten pretty spoiled."

He sighed and turned back to the work he was supposed to be doing. "And yeah... I'll tell Maggie. Once we find me a place, I'll have something more solid to tell her so maybe it'll help the transition."

Try

   "Well, there are people like Carson and Garret; I didn't help them and they are free still."

Sam took a bite off the top of her ice cream. Cringing for a second she brought a hand to her head as she got brain freeze. As it passed she squinted and looked at Aaron grinning. It was her own fault that happened but gave her time to think again.

   "I would try, and I would fight for it but I couldn't promise. That is up to the people above me. But like I said...I would try."

   "I'll let you tell her when you are ready. I think she'll understand once you explain. As long as she gets to see you still."

Nate smiled. He really was happy Garret wanted to spread his wings, and hopefully, his friend would still come around to see them.

    "Just so you know even if you are moving you can still come over anytime, and still stop by for dinner."

Ryan gave a nod to Hunter. She was happy Dylan would be staying with Hunter. They were good friends and at least he would be safe there for use. Not that he needed a babysitter, but a few extra eyes would be nice.

    "Mmm...I think you are right."

Leaning into Hunter Ryan pressed her lips to his. With Dylan being around there quiet time will be cut down, but she didn't mind. It would make the moments they did have that much more special. 

Bringing her hand behind Hunter's head Ryan ran her fingers through his hair and her other one crawled up his arm. Just letting her kiss deepen, letting all her emotions flow though it.

Company

Aaron gave Sam a little smirk as he kept working on his cold treat. "I'm not sure I'll ever believe the Elite cares. You, maybe, but not the Elite. There's always an end game. Besides..."

He paused as he licked some ice cream that had started to dribble down the side of the cone. "If I didn't give up information, I wouldn't have the option of getting out of there, right? You called it a sign of good faith once. But really, it's just an ultimatum. It's not free will that's prying the intel from me - it's mere survival. I talk, I get out. I don't, I rot in that little room." He shrugged. "I think you've been nice to me because that's your personality. If you weren't here though, I think they'd just let me sit until I finally caved or went crazy."

He bit into the ice cream cone, enjoying it. "If I said I wanted a new life but I didn't want to risk sharing Agency secrets... Would you still help me get my own place?"


Garret couldn't hide that his eyes lit up at Nate's suggestion. As much as he had grown to love the little family - even if he wouldn't admit it - he did need his own space. "I like that idea." He nodded his agreement. "Just, um... don't mention it to Maggie yet okay?" He wouldn't want to admit his fondness for the girl either, let alone his recognition that she thought so highly of him. But he did know if anybody was going to miss him, it would be her, and he wasn't ready to see those disappointed eyes just yet.


Dylan walked slowly back towards the barn after a good long ride on Seven. It was late afternoon now, and even though his dad had given him the day off, he couldn't just sit back and watch the others take care of chores. He could finish packing later.

He was almost to the barn when his phone buzzed on his belt. Odd. Stopping, he looked at it and lifted his eyebrows when he saw who it was. "Hunter?" He smiled a little and leaned back against the barn wall. "What's up?"

"Hey! Heard you're headed my way!"

"Yep. Tomorrow. How'd you know?"

"Your dad and I had a little chat."

"Oh."

"Now don't go jumping to conclusions. He said you were gonna stay with Jason, but that Jason's own situation isn't that stable. I don't know anything about that, but I offered to have you stay with me. If you want, that is."

Dylan perked up. He liked Jason okay but he really got along with Hunter. "Really?"

Hunter chuckled. "Really. All I got is a spare room with an air mattress, but it's yours if you want it."

"Did... did my Dad say if I still had a choice?"

"Oh yeah. To tell you the truth, he just wanted to let me know you were coming so maybe we could hang out sometime."

"You mean keep an eye on me."

"Now, now... no. That's the Elite's job. He knew I'd want to see you. It was my own idea for you to stay with me. It's completely up to you and I won't be offended if you say no."

Dylan dug his toe into the dirt as he thought. He really did find the idea appealing. "Okay. I... think I'd like that."

"Great! Just let me know when you're getting close and I'll be waiting for ya. I'll text you my address."

"No need." Dylan grinned at his phone. "I think Katie and Jason know how to get there."

There was a slight pause. "Right."

Dylan withheld a snicker as he finished up their conversation and finally headed into the barn.


"Well... that's that." Hunter gave Ryan a squeeze as they sat together on his couch. "Looks like I'll have company for a while so..." He leaned in close and kissed her neck playfully. "Maybe we should take advantage of this quiet moment..."

Pleasure

Sam licked her ice cream and thought for a long moment about Aaron's comment. Did she have an answer for that? It sure sounded like brainwashing to her too but she knew it wasn't. Sam was happy for the ice cream so it gave her a little more time to think about her answer. 

   "I haven't done what I have done because I want to give you information. I've been doing it to try and show you there is a better life, and because I wanted to make it more comfortable for you."

Taking another lick of her ice cream Sam leaned back on the bench and looked out at the water. Just concentrating on the little boats that dotted the water. Finally looking at Aaron again she gave a soft smile. 

   "You are giving up information on your own free will. Being free, having a life means more to you then keeping information about people who don't care. We aren't forcing you, just letting you know if would benefit you and you would also have us watching your back because we care."

Quirking an eyebrow at Garret Nate could tell something was up even if he said it was nothing. He would let it be for now though knowing not to push Garret. He would tell him when he was ready. Turning back to his work Nate just continue on what was doing even though he could hear Garret behind him still.

Hearing Garret start to talk again Nate turned around to study him for a long moment. He knew sooner or later this time would come. Honestly, though he really had gotten used to having Garret around and it was nice, Seeing Maggie smile was even better. But it was time and Garret did need to spread his wings too. 

   "Of course you won't have to come back here. I knew this time would come sooner or later."

Thinking about the weekend Nate smiled. 

   "It has been Laura and I's pleasure to have you. How about this weekend we take some time and go looking for an apartment for you?!"

Brainwash

Aaron couldn't help a little chuckle as Sam returned, and he looked between his options for a moment before choosing the peanut butter. "Thanks." He took a lick of the ice cream and quirked a little grin. "This is really good." He liked ice cream. He always had. He just... hadn't really taken time to enjoy it in... a very long time. 

He pulled his feet up on the bench and sat sideways, shifting between paying attention to his ice cream and paying attention to Sam. Eventually, his thoughts surfaced. "So... how do you do it?" He licked his cone, sucking the mouthful of ice cream. "You've spent weeks... months... trying to convince me I'm not a prisoner. You've given me good food, you've entertained me, you've taken me outdoors... and yet here I am, practically begging to give up Agency intel to your superior." He shook his head and straightened out his bad leg, trying not to wince. "You say you don't brainwash... but how else do you explain my pointless willingness to spill everything?"


"Hmm?" Garret put the papers back on the desk and tried to shuffle them into some kind of order. "Oh. Yeah. I'm fine." He fiddled with the papers some more before glancing at Nate. "Just... restless I guess." He shrugged and resumed playing with a pencil. 

Quiet for a few minutes, he finally sighed and tossed the pencil aside. "I keep thinking about all you and Laura have done for me," he admitted. "And how great it's been staying with you guys. I just..." He shrugged again. "Think maybe I'm to the point where... you guys should get your life - and your house - back." He paused. "As long as... that wouldn't mean me having to come back here to live."

Peanut Butter - multiple posts

Looking to Travis again Ashlee smiled and nodded. A ride sounded nice. She really did want to see Dylan again before he left but maybe it was better this way. Goodbyes were never easy and maybe Dylan liked it like that.

   “A ride would be nice. I can help no problem.”

   “I’d be pretty sad if you did more than worrying about how it made the Elite look.”

Getting Aaron settled on the bench Sam smiled and thought for a long second about the ice cream. Giving Aaron’s good leg a pat Sam stood and wondered over to the ice cream stand. Looking at all the flavors she finally picked two before wondering back.

Sitting down with the cones next to Aaron she held them both out. It was hard to pick not sure what Aaron liked and what he didn’t.

   “Ok, So I got peanut butter, and I also got cherry chocolate chip. You pick what one you want, I happen to like both.”

As the stack of papers toppled to the floor Nate looked down at them and then at Garret. It was unlike him to be a butter finger. He’s been pretty quiet all morning and wondered if that had something to do with it too.

Getting up from his chair and starting to help him pick the papers up Nate smirked at him.

   “Everything ok?”

Distracted

Aaron looked up at Sam and smirked. “Yeah – if I wither away and die then that would probably look bad on the Elite books, wouldn’t it?” Though feeling stubborn, he let Sam help him to his feet, then over to the bench. Soggy jeans were even more uncomfortable than he remembered, but he wasn’t going to complain. It had been worth it.

“Um… I really don’t have a favorite,” he admitted about the ice cream. “Surprise me.” He pulled on his shirt and sat back to wait. Sam really was being nice to him today and he knew it. She hadn’t needed to bring him out here at all today, let alone make it such a treat for him. He kept fighting the idea that she was being genuine but he really couldn’t deny it… not when she had nothing to gain by any of this. Especially since he’d already said he’d talk to Reese. Most people would have ended their time right then and there and taken in him back in as a triumph. But not Sam… she just… played it cool as if she was enjoying the day, too. Was she? He wondered.

“Of course.” Trent winked at Ashlee. “Won’t take long at all.” He recognized it as Dylan’s hat, and he knew good and well it was special to her.

“Wanna go riding today?” Travis nudged her knee with his, followed by a grin. “Apparently I’m on exercise duty so I gotta take some of the horses out.”

Dylan finished his lunch quickly as slipped out early as usual. He went to the barn, but instead of starting in on work, he went to Seven’s stall. Letting himself inside with a currycomb, he started brushing down the gelding, giving him some extra attention, along with the treat of a carrot. So lost in thought, he didn’t even hear anyone approach.

“How ya doing?”

He turned quickly at the sound of his father’s voice. “Fine. Why?”

Mick shrugged and leaned on the wall, looking in at him through the bars. “Just wondered. All packed?”

“Almost.” Dylan turned back to brushing Seven. He paused then glanced over his shoulder. “I, um… I’ll understand if you need to get rid of Seven while I’m gone.”

Mick sighed and shook his head. “You think I’d do that?”

Dylan bit his lip then abandoned his task to exit the stall. “Well, he’ll just be an extra mouth to feed and-”

“Dylan.” Mick stepped closer to look him in the eye. “Just because I don’t agree with you going to Nevada doesn’t mean I’m gonna punish you by getting rid of your horse. Seven is yours and that means he stays as long as you want him to.”

Dylan swallowed hard. “Ashlee said she’d take care of him so you wouldn’t have to worry about it.”

“Well that’s nice of her – she can certainly have that job. But you don’t have to worry, alright?” Mick wished his son would trust him more than that. “I know… I don’t think it’s good for you to go to the Elite. But since you’ve made up your mind, I at least want it to be a good experience for you. And that means not worrying about your things back here. Whether it’s Seven or even your bunkhouse. It will all be right here waiting for you when you get back.”

Relief swept through Dylan’s veins. “Thank you. I… I appreciate that.”

Why did he have to be so formal? Mick pursed his lips and forced a small smile. “You’re welcome. Just stay safe, okay?”

“Always.” Dylan started to grin. “I’m really looking forward to it.”

“Good. You better finish packing then. Consider this your first day and don’t worry about chores.” Mick gave him a pat on the shoulder before turning and aiming for the office where some paperwork needed to be done. As he walked though, he pulled out his phone and dialed. “Hey, Hunter…”

Not knowing what else to really do, Dylan headed back to his bunkhouse to finish packing. Maybe if he got done soon enough, he’d have time for one last ride.

Garret fiddled with a pencil between his fingers as he swiveled in the office chair. He was back with Nate today, going over a few cases to see if he could recognize any Agency involvement. He was restless today though. Actually, he had been that way for the last few days. Concentrating on anything was difficult, let alone accomplishing any tasks, and his mood wasn’t the greatest either.

Looking back at the computer screen, he moved too quickly and hit a stack of papers with his elbow, sending them all over the floor. Smirking at Nate, he rolled his eyes before bending to pick them all up.

Help

Just watching Aaron Sam could see a change in his attitude following his faraway look. She wondered what he was thinking about and could only guess it was nothing good since the change was must different the earlier. In a way, she felt bad, having so many bad memories haunt you all the time could never be a good thing.

  “Here I’ll help you to that bench there and then go get the ice cream so you can rest you knee. What kind do you like?”

Sam smiled as she helped him. She knew Aaron liked doing things alone but he wasn’t alone, not anymore and she was bound to prove that to him. Even if he felt like a child he did have people who cared, and who wanted to help.

   “Now we cant have you withering away and dyeing can we?”

Ashlee laughed giving a nudge to Travis. Glancing over at Dylan she wondered what he was going to say earlier but had been cut off. Maybe later he would tell her. Either way she was happy to have been able to talk to him this morning. When he was gone she was going to miss him.

About to give a reply to Travis about the hat Ashlee stopped hearing Trent. Watching him as he sat down she smiled and gave a nod. Making it fit a little better would be good so then it wouldn’t get in the way when working. She had been waiting a long time to get a cowboy hat like the others but had never found one she liked. Dylan’s was perfect though and she wanted to ware it. It was old and beat up with many imperfections but she didn’t mind it was still just right.

  “If you could help me with putting the felt on it that would be great. Thank you.”

Thinking for a second Misty nodded. She liked Justin and he was good at his job. If she had to choose from anyone to try and continue to help Chance she would choose him. He was rough but he cared about people and new just what they needed.

   “Ok sounds good. I’ll give Destiny a call here in a short while, and then get that report written up for you.”

A few hours later Misty stopped the report she was writing and held her phone for a long moment. Getting up from her desk and going into the hall she dialed Destiny’s number and waited. Getting the voicemail, she paused for a moment. She didn’t know if it would be better to tell her in person or just leave a message.

   “Hi Destiny its Misty from over at the Elite. I just wanted to call and let you know..”

She paused for a second. There was no good way to say it so she might as well just say it.

   “…Chance is being transferred to Northside. His is still mentally unstable and we think it’s the best option for him at this point. I just thought you might want to know and if you have any questions please feel free to call me anytime.”

Little Big

Dylan couldn’t help his little smile of pleasure when Ashlee kept the hat on. Realizing she actually was going to wear it felt… good. Not that it really mattered – there were a lot of opportunities he’d missed… a lot of roads he’d never be able to go back down. But making her smile wasn’t against the rules.

Hearing her stomach growl, a light chuckle surfaced and he stood. “Lunch sounds like a good idea,” he agreed. There were others he needed to see throughout the day, too. Not that he wouldn’t have dinner time, but he’d never hear the end of it if he missed saying goodbye to certain people.

He walked with Ashlee to the main house and held the door for her before fallowing her inside. It was already filling up, and the smell of hamburgers hit his nostrils. “If you want, we can­–”

“Ashlee!” Travis grinned and waved from where he was already sitting at one of the tables. He pointed to an empty seat next to him that he’d been saving.

Dylan forced a wry grin at Ashlee, abandoning his previous thought. “Looks like your table awaits. I’ll catch you later to let you know what my dad says about Seven.” Breaking off from her, he wove through the tables to where Sparky was sitting with Faith off to the side. “Can I… sit with you guys?”

“Since when do you ask?” Sparky pushed the chair out with his foot. “Park yourself.”

“Thanks.” Easing down, Dylan gave a little sigh without realizing it.

Sparky arched an eyebrow. “Everything alright?”

“Yeah… yeah,” Dylan tried to assure. “Just a little tired I guess. Been packing all morning.”

“Ah. Good idea.” Sparky had been disappointed to find out Dylan would be leaving. They spent a lot of time together, and in a way, Dylan had become like a son to him. But at the same time, he understood the need for the boy to stretch his wings. He followed Dylan’s gaze to the table where Travis and Ashlee were sitting. “Leaving behind more than you thought?”

“What?” Dylan’s eyes snapped back over to him, then he realized what Sparky meant. He rolled his eyes and grabbed a napkin to play with, slouching in his chair. “Naw. Too many doors I closed can’t be reopened, you know that.” He shrugged. “It’s better this way.” He was far from admitting any true feelings, but regardless, Travis was a good fit for Ashlee in more ways than one. And in spite of any ill feelings towards the other young man, Ashlee was happy and that’s what mattered.

As Ashlee joined Travis at the table, he grinned and nibbled on a potato chip. “Hi.” He’d only seen her briefly once this morning so far, and he couldn’t help the little butterflies in his stomach when he’d seen her come in. “I was worried you might skip lunch and I’d have to wait who knows how long to see you again.” He nudged her shoulder with his.

Glancing at the hat she wore, he quirked an eyebrow. Was that… surely not… He stole a quick glance to where Dylan sat without a hat on – which was unusual. His eyes traveled back to Ashlee, and he reached up to thump the brim. “Cute,” he teased. “Little big, isn’t it?”

Before she could even answer, Trent took up the chair across from them and smiled at her. “We’ve got some extra felt in the tack room. One strip around the inside and it would fit like a glove.”

Travis tried to hide his smirk by eating another potato chip. Whatever.

Aaron chuckled and looked back over at Sam. “Hey, don’t rub it in.” He righted himself and watched her for a few moments before sighing. He could stay out here all day, but if he really was going to get a chance to talk to Reese, he knew he needed to cooperate. And… ice cream sounded like a good idea.

Floating over to the shore again, he pulled himself up to sit in the sand, which just created a bigger mess as it stuck to his wet jeans. It would take a while to dry off. By now, his knee was throbbing, and it took extra effort to scoot back away from the water. Lying back in the sand, he soaked up more of the sunshine on his bare skin.

“Told you not to spend so long in the sun.”

Aaron’s ten-year-old head hung at his sister’s tongue-lashing and he glared at the ground. He held out the lotion. “Just help me, please?”

She scoffed. “Do it yourself. I’m leaving.”

“But-” The door slammed and Aaron looked up in the mirror, turning so he could see his bright red back that he couldn’t reach himself. Tossing the lotion onto the bathroom counter, he shuffled back to his little bedroom where he flopped down on his bed on his stomach. Tears stung his eyes but he refused to let them fall. He’d finally been invited over to someone’s house to swim – he hadn’t known they’d just leave him in the pool by himself while they all ate popsicles under the shade tree. They said he had to prove his worth by staying in the pool longer. All he’d wanted was friends. Now he was a boiled lobster with all of them laughing at him even more.

Aaron squinted up at the clouds, trying to shake the memory. Being on his own had always been the better choice. With no one else to rely on, no one could let him down. Giving up his spot in the sand, he fumbled with his crutches as he also carried his shirt, socks and boots, then hobbled back over onto the grass where the blanket still was. It was shady, but the breeze would speed up his jeans drying. Hopefully anyway.

“Ice cream sounds good.” One might think he hadn’t even heard Sam to begin with since it had been several minutes since she’d even mentioned it. Sitting with his leg outstretched again, he rubbed his knee gingerly, not even realizing his entire body language had changed.

Justin nodded thoughtfully. “That’s not a bad idea for you to tell Destiny. She knows you better than me and… maybe it will be better coming from a woman.” He knew he often lacked gentleness, and that’s where Misty excelled.

“In the meantime, I’m going to be calling Northside and setting up a time – soon, preferably – to take Chance in. With Elite authority, can ensure I’m the only one who councils him, and you’ll have full access to him too if you ever want or need it.”

Wrong

Misty thought for a long moment. On one hand she would want to be in the dark, on the other she would rather know what was going on so nothing was a surprise. It was a hard situation for sure.

   “I think someone should tell her. If it was me I would rather be told by people who cared then find out some other way.”

Taking the papers Justin showed her Misty looked over them for a long moment reading them quickly to get an idea of what he had said in them so her own statement could be along the same lines.

   “I can call her if you think it would be easier.”

   “Oh my goodness did you really just admit you were wrong?”

Sam laughed giving Aaron’s shoulder a little shove. Just floating around for another long moments Sam finally made her way back to the shore. Looking over her shoulder at Aaron.

   “Ive got to at least dry off a little so I don’t look like a drowned rat.”

Getting out and wringing out some of her clothing Sam looked around spotting an ice cream cart a little ways away. After the short dip ice cream actually sounded good.

   “If you want to start drying off too we could walk and get some ice cream.”

As Dylan put the hat on her head Ashlee didn’t care if was a little big. It meant the world to her he gave it to her. Moving one of her fingers up she pushed on the brim to shift it so she could see better. At the same time getting of whiff of Dylan. The hat smelled like him and she liked it.

   “Thank you Dylan, I’ll make sure to keep it safe.”

Shifting and standing Ashlee looked towards the main house seeing people starting to file in. Her stomach growled. Looking to Dylan a little color came to her cheeks. She was a little hungrier than she had though.

   “Want to head for some lunch?”

Hat

“Who said you were a pain?” Aaron floated nearer Sam, his foot brushing up against her leg. “I mean… who’s said it lately?” He gave her a wry grin. “Surely not me.” His eyes roamed her face before landing on her own eyes and remaining there for several long moments. “’Cause if I said it… I think I was wrong.”

His gaze remained a few more seconds before he swam a little ways away and started to float on his back again, just staring up at the clouds. It felt like he was in some bizarre dream and any moment, he’d wake up to realize he was back in Europe again, preparing for the next mission.

Maybe Ashlee was right. Maybe if she would at least take responsibility for feeding Seven and letting him out during the day, Mick would be more apt to let the horse stay. It was a nice thought for Dylan anyway.

Her next question made him look at her quickly. And for perhaps the first time, he allowed his gaze to linger on her eyes, searching for and finding her heart. A little grin creased his lips and he finally looked away. “Don’t worry. I’ll be surrounded by babysitters,” he assured. “I may be going to the Elite, but I’ll probably be running paperwork back and forth, getting people coffee, making copies and maybe even mopping floors.”

He reached behind him on the porch and picked up his worn cowboy hat, fiddling with the brim for a moment before looking back at Ashlee and gaining a new crooked grin. “Here. Take care of this for me too. I prolly won’t need it where I’m going.” He reached over and put it on her head. It was just a tad too big, sitting down on her forehead right above her eyes. Dylan chuckled. “Perfect.”

“Oh, just sometime this week. Here.” Justin set his backpack down and reached inside to pull out some paperwork. “I’ve already got a draft of my statement if you wanna see what I wrote. Just so we’re on the same page.”

He glanced back over to Chance and sighed. “I feel like somebody should let Destiny know what’s going on but… maybe she doesn’t even want to know. What do you think? If you were her… would you want to know or would you just rather stay in the dark?”

Persuade

Laying on her back and floating in the water Sam closed her eyes trying to relax. Feeling the water hit the top of her head Sam looked up and grinned. Her head was just above the water now as she treaded water. Swimming a little closer to Aaron she gave a nod.

   “You won’t be rid of me that easy unfortunately. I’ll still be your handler for the next few months checking in on you and making sure you are doing ok. Hope that’s ok with you. I know I am a pain.”

Sitting down on the step Ashlee smiled thinking for a long moment. She wondered if Mick would really get rid of Seven or not. She didn’t think he would but she could see why Dylan was worried too.

   “Maybe if he knows I’ll take care of him for you, and he wont lose any other workers doing it that were persuade him a little more.”

Letting out a long sigh Ashlee leaned her head against the railing on the porch. She was happy Dylan was going to be happy trying a new adventure, but at the same time she was sad to see him go. Even if they didn’t talk much she always liked when they did.

   “Hey Dylan…be safe when you go..ok? I don’t want to have to come and kick the crap out of someone hurting you.”

Looking up as Justin came in Misty gave a little wave. Hearing Reese agreed to let Chance go to Northside Misty was happy at least he was staying out of prison for now. Might not be the best place to choose but it was better than the other option.

   “I can definitely do that. When do you need it by?”

Invisible

Dylan looked up as Ashlee approached, managing a small smile. For as excited as he was about leaving, there was a part of him that was struggling, even if he didn’t want to admit it. He’d made up his mind. He was going. And there was a chance he wouldn’t be back. Not that he’d say so, but in the back of his mind, it was still a possibility. “Eh – I’m not usually invisible,” he teased dryly.

Hearing her offer to care for Seven, his expression softened. “Thank you. That’s… that would be great. I’d really appreciate that.” He meant it, too. He knew Ashlee wouldn’t be riding Seven at all, but she was getting more and more horse savvy and he’d trust her to keep an eye on the rambunctious gelding. “If… Dad lets him stay here.” He shrugged. “I’m gonna be gone long enough that… I’m not sure if he’ll want the extra mouth to feed during that time. I, um… I gotta talk to him about that today, I just…” His eyes fell. “I’ve been putting it off.” Not that his dad was mean, but he couldn’t expect the ranch to care for his horse for three months while he was off doing something else.

As he was hit with the small wave and bigger splash, Aaron couldn’t help but laugh. “Uh-huh… I didn’t think you could resist. You got a posh job, you know that? Hanging out at the lake and it’s work time.”

He took a mouthful of lake water and spit it out in a stream that arched right on top of Sam’s head before grinning at her. “So if I get my own place… am I even gonna see you again?”

“Misty?” Justin tapped on the infirmary door before entering. He glanced at the bed to see Chance curled up ignoring his surroundings, before coming over to Misty’s desk. He kept his voice low. “I just talked to Reese. He agreed we could admit Chance to Northside. He’ll be talking with Kirk and whoever else he needs to about Chance’s mental condition. It’s going to be a process but… they won’t prosecute at least for the time being, as long as he’s still unstable. They’ll want a written testimony from both you and me though since we’ve been the ones watching him.”

He sighed, but was glad for this small success. “Once he’s more stable… I’m gonna push for him to give the Elite all he knows about the Underground in exchange for his freedom. But… that’s gonna be a little while from now. I just… don’t know that he really needs to go to prison.”

Care

Wondering from her bunk to go to the main house for lunch Ashlee stopped seeing Dylan on his steps. Going over to him she leaned on the railing and gave him a smile. Tomorrow he would be leaving and as much as she had tried to prepare herself for that she wasn’t ready.

    “Hey! I wondered if I would see you today or not.”

Shifting a little there was something she had wanted to mention to Dylan before it was to late. Now maybe was the best time as ever.

   “I wanted to know if while you were gone you wanted me to watch over Seven for you? At least then you would know he was taken care of.”

Sam rolled her eyes at Aaron can came in more. Just standing in the water for a long moment she laughed.

   “Who you calling a chicken!!”

Not giving much warming Sam jumped in the water sending a splash onto Aaron. Coming up for air she laughed again now totally wet. The water really did feel good so she couldn’t complain to much.

   “Better?”

Chicken

Zan laughed again and nodded. “Okay. There are some people I’d be scared to play it by ear with but…not with you. So… that sounds good to me.”

He stayed long enough to help finish the dishes then knew he should probably go. So bidding her goodbye, he made his way home. The evening was a quiet one. Jett was off somewhere probably partying, which meant Zan was left in peace. Movies did little to distract his mind though. He was either thinking about Destiny or church or both.

Aaron chuckled and splashed Sam back. “I won’t drown… I’ve got you to save me.” He floated for a few minutes before righting himself to tread water, just letting his bad leg hang loosely in the warm water. “You’re not in far enough,” he taunted. “Wading doesn’t count.”

He splashed her again, this time with a little more force. “Chicken.”

Dylan stuffed some more clothes into his duffel bag before going to his nightstand and going through the small drawer. Some spare change. His pocket knife. A few odds and ends. He really didn’t know exactly what to take with him. Mostly clothes though. Reese had agreed to three months. It seemed like a long time but in reality, it really wasn’t – not when learning about something like the Elite. Reese had said he wanted to give him a good idea about how things functioned, and Dylan knew that took time. Jason had said he could stay at his place at least temporarily. It wasn’t the most ideal situation since Jason was gone a lot and it was a fair piece from his small house to the office, but Dylan was grateful. He’d figure something else out later if he needed to.

Glancing at the clock, he sighed. Almost lunch time. He just wanted to get everything packed early so he could have the afternoon to himself, then he’d leave with the others tomorrow morning. Wandering outside, he sat down on his bunkhouse steps for a few minutes just to rest. He still had a few things he needed to talk to his dad about… like his bunk… like Seven. He knew that going away meant he was going to lose some things but… it was worth it. It had to be.

Splash

I’m pretty sure we are. It feels right anyways.

Walking with Jason her hand in his Katie stopped before getting to the bend that lead to the house. Looking up at the stars that dotted the sky Katie let out a content sigh. It was easy to see the stars here. The city lights didn’t get in the way at all. She truly missed this.

                                                

I agree, we do need to come back more often.

Washing some more dishes while Zan dried Destiny thought about what he said. She had no idea what to do tomorrow or what she would be in the mood for. Looking at him she smiled.

   “How about lunch and they play it by ear?”

As Aaron stripped down to his jeans Sam couldn’t help but stair for a long moment. Finally looking away she cleared her head and then looking at him in the water again. Seeing how relaxed he looked she was happy he needed this peace.

   “Me?”

Thinking about his comment Sam shook her head. A swim was not what was planned today. Rolling up her pants though and taking off her jean jacket she had on Sam set it in the sand before coming to the water a little deeper. As it came to the bottom of her pants it really was refreshing.

   “Don’t drown on me now with you bum knee!”

Sam splashed a little water in Aaron’s direction.

Join Me

Zan brushed a soap bubble off his shirt and chuckled. “Um… I hadn’t thought that far yet,” he admitted. He came over beside her to dry the dishes she’d cleaned so far. “I work morning shift tomorrow so… we could… do lunch? Or… wait til later and catch a movie or… go to a club or… do lunch and any of those…”

He gave her a sidelong glance and another grin. “I need a little help picking though, so I can make sure whatever we do makes you smile.”

Aaron thought for a few moments, and backed into the water just a little more. “Good… ‘cause you’re gonna have to wait for me to dry off.” Stripping his t-shirt and tossing it into the sand, he then purposely fell backward. Landing in the water with a splash, he came up just far enough out that he could barely reach bottom, and lay to float on his back in the sun. It was warm. Relaxing. And if there were no threat of drowning, he could fall asleep right there. Walking around in wet jeans was not his idea of fun, but it was a small sacrifice to pay for this little bit of indulgence.

Just floating so his knee could relax, he lifted his head and squinted at Sam, now a short ways away. “You just gonna sit there, or you gonna join me?”

Yeah… I don’t know what changed between him leaving the Elite and then coming here but… he’s definitely different.

Jason nodded his agreement with Katie. “Dylan will be in good hands in Nevada. Even if we’re not there, Reese will watch him like a hawk – that much is certain.”

Mick tried to believe them, and tried to push his worries aside. “Thank you.”

It wasn’t much later that Jason and Katie were wandering in the dark back towards his mom and Wes’ house. It was a nice, warm night tonight with a refreshing breeze.

No matter what… I think we need to come back here more often.

His thumb ran over her knuckles as he held her hand as they walked.

We’re doing the right thing, right? By going back now? Having a backup plan? It feel so… strange.

As Much

Ryan laughed and slapped Hunter’s arm. She wouldn’t put it past him to say something like that alone with her but in the room with other people shocked her a little. Not that she minded it meant he was comfortable but still she could feel the color creep up her cheeks.

   “Now we can’t have that can we!?!”

Soon everyone was gone and Destiny was cleaning up. Having Zan stay to help her was a nice treat. Bringing some more dishes to the sink Destiny looked at Zan leaning against the counter and chuckled.

   “Not boring at all. I rather like listing to you talk about it. Little by little I am gathering a little more about everything that goes on with the races.”

Filling the sink and starting to wash some dishes Destiny hummed as she cleaned them. Throwing a few bubbles Zan’s way she smiled as her eyes dance with humor and life. There was just something about him that always made her feel playful.

   “I would love to see you again tomorrow. I don’t have anything going on. What do you have in mind?”

Still laying on her back Sam sat up hearing his comment about not wanting to go back. She wondered when this would come up because she knew it would sooner or later. But what she would say would never be planned. Different situations would always call for different answers.

   “I would sit here and wait till you were ready to go back because without you coming with me there would be no point. I would be in as much trouble as you would be.”

Sam squinted in the sun at Aaron. It was the truth if she went back without Aaron she would more than likely not have a job anymore. She hoped Aarons question was only that though a question. She wanted to trust him, she thought she could.

Rick has been strange this whole trip. I don’t know what’s gotten into him.

Continuing the conversation was nice and everyone brought a lot of comfort for them or at least her.  Knowing at least there would be a few people who knew where they were was a good thing.  They wouldn’t be completely on their own.

Having her thoughts rerouted Katie looked to Mick and then back at Jason. Giving a smile she nodded. She’d look after her cousin as much as she could.

   “Of course we will, and for as long as we can I will watch over him.”

Too Much?

Hunter laughed and leaned closer to Ryan. “Mm… you know I don’t mind the smell of car grease. As a matter of fact… it might just turn me on.”

Zan snickered and shook his head as he downed the rest of his pop. “Alright, so it’s a plan. Day after tomorrow. Racing site. Shouldn’t be anyone else around during the day, and as far as I know, so far word hasn’t leaked out so we’re still good.”

“Got it.” Hunter nodded his approval. They were getting closer to taking out Thunder, and they’d all be happy once that happened.

They all stayed and chatted a little while longer until Hunter and Ryan were the first ones to leave. Zan stayed longer and helped clean up what was left, helping wash the dishes and get everything put away or thrown away. Leaning back against the counter as they finished, his smile to Destiny returned. “This was fun. Hope we didn’t make it too boring with all our racing talk.” He cocked his head. “Day after tomorrow isn’t very long, but um…” He shrugged as his expression turned a little sheepish. “Do you… wanna maybe see each other tomorrow?” He bit his lip. “Or… is that too much?”

Aaron smirked a little and turned his head, looking down at Sam. “You know… when you talk like that it kinda makes me feel like some little kid who’s growing up. I know you don’t mean it that way but…” He sighed. “That’s kinda how the whole Elite program feels. Bring in the poor lost souls so we can nurture them and watch them grow up to be good little children.” He shook his head. “I’d rather get kicked out on my butt and forced to survive on my own so at least I’ve succeeded by my own hands.”

He leaned down and rolled up his pant legs a little further, then stood up a bit wobbly. Without the use of his crutches, he limped just a few steps into the water until it came up almost to his knees, getting just the bottoms of his pants wet. Turning around, he studied Sam for a moment. “If I told you I didn’t want to go back today. That I refused. What would you do?”

Jason returned the squeeze to Katie’s hand.

That’s probably a good idea. I know both our parents are having a super hard time with all this and we should probably spend more time with them before we go back, regardless of whatever happens.

He nodded slowly at Rosetta. “Well, if you could… gather some information about those locations and get it to us in the next day or so, that would be great. We um… we’d let the three of you know which way we went. And Reese, like I said. But… we don’t want the rest of our families to know. Like our parents. They’d mean well, but we don’t want them hurt, or inadvertently giving us away.”

Mick nodded his agreement. “We understand. It’s a hard call but… we’ve been there.” He took Rosetta’s hand and gave her a loving look. They’d been through so much. Even with years apart, they still had a vivid history of trials they’d had to overcome in various ways to survive and to keep safe those they loved.

Jason looked to Rick, unsure about his ongoing silence. “Rick? You haven’t said much?”

Rick sighed deeply, then just shook his head. “What do you want me to say? I’d like to eradicate the entire Element so you two could have normal lives. If not that, I’d like to take a sawed-off shotgun and blow the heads off of anyone who tried to lay a hand on your for the sake of scientific experiments.”

Jason’s mouth turned up into a little grin at the mental image.

Just me, or is he a little more… possessive of us lately?

“Well let’s just hope it doesn’t come to that. We could inform Kirk and he could accept it and keep his mouth shut and all this wouldn’t even be worth worrying about.”

“It’s good to have this plan anyway,” Rick confirmed. “It might not happen today. Or tomorrow. Or a month from now. But it could happen six month from now. Or a year. You both need to have a bag packed at all times that you keep in one of your cars. So at any given moment, you can take off.”

Jason was a bit surprised of Rick’s support, but he did appreciate it. “That’s a good idea. Thank you.”

“Does this mean you two are ready to go back?”

It was Jason’s turn to sigh. “I’m sure we’ll keep gaining more control and discovering new things about this. But we can’t stay here forever until we’re a hundred percent comfortable because it just might not happen. So yes… we’ll probably go in a day or two.”

Mick tensed a little. “And… Dylan will be going with you?”

Jason nodded. “I talked to him earlier and he said he’d be ready.”

Mick’s gaze dropped but he nodded anyway. “Okay. Just make sure he gets there in one piece.”

“Don’t worry. We will.” Jason glanced to Katie. “Right?”

Grease

   “We just figured it would be easier if everyone at the Elite was on the same page and possibly be ok with it, then have to hide it even at work and have it be a worse outcome.”

Katie sate with Jason and the others. They seemed to be taking the news ok and she was happy about that at least. It would make things a little bit easier in the long run. Having their support was important to her as well. Mick and Rosetta meant a lot to Katie and what they thought too.

Just listing and thinking for a long moment Rosetta wasn’t sure how to feel. She was proud of Jason and Katie for choosing to let it be known about who they are and this ability they had, and at the same time she felt so sad. They were so young to take this burden on their shoulders. Once they were on the run too, would they always be?

   “I have some connections in New Mexico and California you could go. All I have to do is call a few people and not give any details but they would be more then willing to help me out. Houses they don’t use anymore, hotels they don’t have people at that sort of thing.”

Katie gave a nod to her Aunt and to Mick. They were very thankful for places to go no matter what the condition was. Something was better then nothing.

   “Thank you both. It means a great deal to J and I. Having more than one place to go would be nice too. Just in case we need to move around.”

Giving Jason’s hand a squeeze Katie looked to him and smiled. She hoped they wouldn’t have to leave at all but preparing for the worse was wise.

I think most of the day tomorrow I am gonna spend it with my dad, if you want to spend it with your family as well.

Looking to Zan and grinning she nodded. Now watching she could do no problem. Although last time Zan had got into an accident it scared the tar out of her it had still been fun and she would enjoy doing it again.

   “Yes I would definitely like to come.”

Ryan thought again for a long moment as she popped another chip in her mouth. She tried to go over her work times in her head.

   “I get out at Noon that day so I can head right over after if that works and you don’t mind I smell like car grease.”

Sam just continued to watch the water and listen to Aaron. She felt her heart ache for him in a way. He had been hurt so much by so many people he thought he could trust, and to be locked up and not be able to go out much now, it would be enough to drive her crazy too.

   “No one has won. You are just doing what you need too.

Quiet for another few seconds Sam joined Aaron with her shoes off and let her feet in the water. It felt nice having the water go over them. Leaning back in the sand and putting her arms behind her head Sam just looked up at the sky for a long moment as the sun warmed her skin.

   “I’m actually really excited for you. Finding you a place it going to be fun, and watching you continue to grow and make your own life…its going to be nice.”

Won

Zan chuckled at Destiny and shook his head. He’d never even think about putting her in danger, and the races were certainly not the safest place in the world. He shot her another grin. “I’d hate to drive your car out in the sand like that – it gets pretty rough and I wouldn’t want anything to happen to it. My guess is, Tony will let us use the one I’ve been using already since it’s an old junker anyway.”

He paused as his phone buzzed and he looked at it before laughing. “Yep. Tony says I can just use the one I’ve got and if I break it, I fix it.”

Hunter chuckled. “Sounds like a deal. If Jett can join us, we’re good to go for practice. Now we just gotta set up a time.”

“Day after tomorrow?” Zan was still looking at his phone. “Jett already told me he’s got that afternoon off work, and so do I.”

Hunter swung his gaze to Ryan. “How ‘bout you? We’ll have to check with Eli too since he’s the brains in all this.”

Zan leaned a little closer to Destiny. “You’re more than welcome to come watch too if you want. Not as exciting as a race but your company is always a plus.”

Aaron looked back out at the water, and moved his toes a little more in the sand. He finally nodded. “I can’t keep living in that room. I’m going to go insane. And as long as the Agency thinks I’m dead, I’m not in as much danger and… Garret’s right. If I try to go back there, they’ll just execute me.”

Saying it out loud was not easy, and he kept his eyes on the gently lapping water. “So if the only way I can ever be on my own is by giving Reese what he wants, then so be it. I can’t take it anymore.” He finally glanced back over to Sam, his gaze dim. “The Elite won.”

You’re right. I’ll see if I can get those three together tonight after supper. In the meantime you might wanna spend a little extra time with your dad. Just a suggestion in case… anything happens.

Jason leaned over to give Katie’s cheek a kiss before he stood up. “I’m gonna go talk to Dylan too. Make sure he still really wants to go with us when we leave…”

…The rest of the day went quickly, and soon it was evening. Chores were done. Supper was finished, and those who were not staying up late to play cards were on their way to bed. In Mick and Rosetta’s house though, the lights were still on. BJ had been tucked in, but Mick, Rosetta, Katie, Jason and Rick sat at the dining room table…

“…So Katie and I just want to be prepared in case Kirk tells the FBI about us,” Jason explained. “Or… if anything happens later on too. Even if Kirk is fine, we could be compromised at a later time and… Katie and I will need somewhere safe to go.” He looked around at the others with concern. “Katie and I aren’t even discussing this with our parents. You three and Reese will be the only ones who know our backup plan.” He sighed. “That is… if we can form one. We’d go anywhere we needed to, but… we don’t know where that is and… we thought maybe somebody might have some ideas.”

Rick remained silent for now, surprisingly not arguing. He just studied Jason and Katie, sad for the whole situation. Sad he couldn’t have helped more. Sad they had to make these sort of plans. But he couldn’t really advise against it. In all honestly… it was wise of them.

Mick leaned back in his chair, fiddling with his warm coffee cup. He hated that these two had to go through this. They were so young yet. To have to worry about being caught and analyzed – or worse – because of the Element they possessed was unfair at best, terrifying at worst. He turned his gaze to Rosetta. There were places on the ranch property in the woods in the foothills, but the ranch would be one of the first places the FBI would look. “I know of some places in Montana,” he mused thoughtfully. “Where I wandered for a while before returning here. Otherwise… I’m really not sure as far as locations go.”

Boring

  
   “Oh no! I like watching you guys out there, but I am boring and go the speed limit.”

Destiny grinned. He’d been adventurous these last few weeks but she wasn’t ready to just dive in with something like racing. Going fast looked like fun but she wasn’t brave enough to try it.

Ryan laughed at Destiny’s comment before taking another bite of the chip she was holding. She couldn’t balm her for not wanting to race. You are either born to do it, or not there was really no middle ground.

   “Nothing wrong with not wanting to race, you sure are smarter than the rest of us.”

Destiny smiled and nodded appreciating Ryan’s comment. It made her feel good not to be made fun of.

   “If Tony’s doesn’t have a car though you can use mine. I don’t mind that.”

Sitting quietly with Aaron again Sam just watched the water lap and hit against some of the rocks. It was so peaceful and she liked it. Hearing Aaron again Sam looked at him quickly. Was he really saying what she thought he was saying?

   “I can arrange for that when we get back. Are you sure this is what you want to do?”

Katie moved her head a little bit to look up at Jason and smiled softy. They needed to find out sooner or later and it better be sooner than later.

   “I guess there is only one way to find out.”

Sitting up Katie gave a stretch and yawned a little. Sitting and swinging a little she finally looked at Jason again. How would they ever get thought this without each other. It was funny to think at one point in time they had gone their own way.

I guess we should talk to them tonight about it if we are going to be leaving soon. I know they won’t be happy but…it’s better than trying to hide from everyone.

Talk

Hunter nudged Ryan’s foot back just to tease her before nodding. “This afternoon then.”

Destiny’s suggestion of Jett made Zan’s eyebrows rise. “Well…” He shrugged. “I guess… if we had a car. All he’s got is his pickup.”

“Wouldn’t need to be anything fancy,” Hunter reentered the conversation. “Just another vehicle we can practice around.”

“Yeah. Would be nice if it was somebody who knew what they were doing on the track though, just to give us a challenge.”

Hunter nibbled on a chip before pushing his empty plate aside. “Jett’s no good, huh?”

“Eh.” Zan shrugged. “He filled a spot for another racer once. Came in last. He’s not horrible, but knows better than to actually try racing.”

“Maybe he’d be alright for this though. Bet Tony would have a car we could borrow.”

“Worth asking.” Zan pulled out his phone to send him a text message, briefly explaining. “If Jett’s not our pick, maybe Destiny could drive…” He shot her a grin and a wink. “That would be exciting.”

Aaron looked back out at the water and fell quiet again for a long time. He didn’t have to be moving around to enjoy this. And truth be told , he didn’t want to leave. He didn’t want to have to go back to the Elite. To the tiny room. To his prison.

“I want this more often.” His thought seemed to have come out of nowhere. “I want my life back.” He finally looked back at Sam. “I want to talk to Reese.”

Jason sighed deeply. Katie was probably right. At least they were one step further than they had been when they’d left Nevada. They still didn’t have full control, but at least they weren’t so sick, and they could at least tell when they’d need to make a fast exit if need be.

“I guess… all that’s left is finding out if Kirk will keep his mouth shut or if he’ll go running to the FBI.” His fingers stopped running through her hair so he could just wrap his arm around her to hold her close.

We need to talk to Rick about where we might go if things get ugly. Mick and Rosetta too, before we leave. But that’s it.

Hide

   “What about Jett?”

Destiny didn’t know the first thing about racing or who was aloud and who wasn’t but she tried to get in on the conversation anyways about finding another racer to help. She new he said that he didn’t race well but maybe it was well enough to help them practice.

   

Looking at Hunter Ryan smiled. She knew she needed to practice more to shake the nerves she had. Specially going through with this whole Thunder thing, there was no room for being nervous to get in her way.

   “Going out this afternoon sounds like a good plan to me.”

Ryan smiled at Hunter and gave his foot a little kick under the table.

Just following Aaron as he walked Sam let him go where he wanted not telling him to go one way or another. This was his free time out and she wanted him to enjoy it as much as he could. She just kept walking with him keeping the conversation light.

Following Aaron to the beach and sitting down next him when he sat Sam leaned back a little and let out a content sigh. The sun and the sand felt nice on her skin and she was content. Looking over at Aaron she nodded it really was nice here.

  “It is nice. We will have to come back sometime.”

Sitting with Jason Katie leaned her head on Jason’s chest. Feeing his fingers run though her hair she closed her eyes just enjoying the feeling. She liked it when Jason would rub her shoulder, or run his fingers thought her hair it always felt comforting and nice.

   “I don’t think if I’ll ever be ready to go back. We are more accepting of our powers now but we still have to hide.”

Thinking for a long second Katie let her hand rub up and down Jason’s arm as she thought. They could feel now when there eyes started to glow so at least that was something right?

   “I guess no would be a good time as any to go back. We at least know when our eyes glowing are going to happen and that was more then we knew before.”

Dry Run

Zan couldn’t help but smile at Destiny’s response and her change of subject. He looked over at Hunter and Ryan and just gave them a little smirk before taking another bite of his hamburger. “Yep. Pretty good if I do say so myself.”

“So Eli wants us to have a dry run,” Hunter commented. “Says your car should be ready tomorrow?”

“Mm-hmm.” Zan nodded. “She’s not in the greatest shape, but good enough to take her out anyway. What’s Eli got in mind?”

“Just practice. Wants to see how we work together before we take on Thunder. Need an extra driver though to pretend to be Thunder.”

Zan thought for a moment as he finished his hamburger. “Not Eli?”

Hunter shook his head. “He wants to watch from the sidelines.”

“Eh. We’ll think of something.”

Hunger nudged Ryan’s knee with his own under the table. “We should go out this afternoon for a spin.”

Aaron quirked an eyebrow at Sam. She was reading his mind. “Okay. Walking around sounds like a good idea. Besides… JT wants me to start putting more weight on my leg now too.” As much as he wanted to though, it was still quite painful, leaving the prospect of full mobility dim. But he might as well take advantage of the doctor’s orders this time.

He took his time eating, and even had seconds before he was satisfied, then just sat a while, enjoying the breeze. Eventually though, he helped pack up a few things so they could go for that walk. He took his time with that too, dreading when they’d have to go back to the Elite. After a short jaunt around the little park, they went towards the beach he’d had his eye on earlier. Getting there, he stood for the longest time, just leaning on his crutches and staring out at the lake. He could only just barely make out the other side, almost giving it the feeling of going on forever. The breeze blew through his hair, and the sunshine warmed his skin. And for just a moment, he imagined he was free.

Eventually he moved again, hobbling his way down further into the sandy beach. Remaining silent, he bent to unlace his boots and slip them off, cringing a little as he had to move his knee at an odd angle. Using his crutch for leverage, he lowered himself down to sit, then took off his socks and rolled up his pantlegs a couple inches. Sinking his bare feet into the sand, he sighed with content. The last time he’d felt sand between his toes had been… on a European Agency mission on the coast? Nope. Come to think of it, his whole time had been spent on the top of a hotel roof, waiting to hit his target with his rifle. No, it must have been clear back when he’d been a kid. And even that was just some loose soil he’d imagined was sand, down by an old pond outside town where he wasn’t supposed to be. Now that he thought about it, he wasn’t sure he’d ever felt this particular sensation before.

Realizing he was staring at the sand, he looked up quickly to the water, watching it lap against the little beach. On a whim, he scooted a little further down until his feet were just in the edge of the water. It was warmer than he’d thought it would be. He splashed a little with his good foot and finally turned to look up at Sam with an almost childlike grin. “I like this place,” he concluded.

“Rick asked me about how we felt about going back…” Jason sat with Katie on the porch swing, just gently rocking back and forth. It had been another peaceful day, void of stress, which was nice. With his arm around her shoulders, his fingers absentmindedly raked through her hair. “I told him we didn’t know.”

He paused and glanced at her to search her eyes. “We can feel the glow coming on now, which helps. And we’re not sick anymore. That helps too. I don’t know how much longer we can justify staying without knowing if we can really gain any more control than we already have.”

Walk

Bree chuckled a little before sitting down in the chair she claimed as her own. Watching Gunner drift to sleep Bree let out a small sigh. Tomorrow was a new day and a new day for him to remember. Closing her eyes she finally drifted to sleep as well.

Sam smiled happy that at least some of the food was acceptable. It was nothing to fancy but maybe less was more in a case like this. She was just glad it was not horrible.

Glancing around the lake it really was nice here. There were not to many people but enough to be able to tell that they liked it there too. Some people dotted the lake in fishing boats or just enjoying floating. It was a nice sunny day for it.

   “You are very welcome. I always try to keep my word, that is something important to me.”

Just watching Aaron for a long moment Sam could tell he was enjoying himself and that pleased her. It brought lite to his face and gave life to his eyes. It made Sam smile seeing that and knowing he was enjoying himself.

    “So when you are done eating want to take a little walk since you knee is doing a little better?”

The atmosphere here was nice and Ryan really enjoyed it. Destiny was a very quiet person but she was sweet and it was easy to see she didn’t have many friends. It made her feel good that Hunter and herself could help fill that hole a little. It was a good feeling too that even if they were all competition at the races they could still be friends.

Sitting around the table the nice and the chat was good. Laugher rang out and Destiny was all smiles. It felt really nice to just be able to do that and not hold back. Hearing Hunter’s comment Destiny gave Zan a long glance. What were they? She never really thought about it. She could feel the color coming to her cheeps though.

   “Yes that’s right….good friends. Mmm…the food is all really good.”

Friends

At Bree’s tender touch, Gunner felt tingles down his spine, and he was pretty sure it wasn’t a side effect of his surgery. Feeling her lips on his, he automatically returned it, finding it sweet and inviting. And he was almost disappointed when she pulled away.

Smiling a little, his eyes twinkled. “Wow… I think I’m gonna rest real well after that.”

He sighed and slid down a little further in the bed, letting his head sink deeper into the pillow. “Goodnight, Bree.”

Arriving at the lakeside park, Aaron got out of the car and just stood for a few moments, taking deep breaths of the fresh air. It was even better than being in the city. Here, the air was clean. Crisp. Free in a way.

Not saying much, he followed Sam’s direction and helped spread everything out under a tree. Easing down, he used the tree to lean against, letting his bad leg stretch out. He gave Sam a wry grin at her comment about the food. “What? You think I’d complain about something other than frozen dinners? Or vending machine sandwiches since now there’s no microwave.”

He rolled his eyes. Anything was better than the food there. Or…maybe it wasn’t even the food that was good or bad, but rather the atmosphere. He was still quiet as he leaned back and started to eat. Tasting a bit of everything, then returning to the macaroni salad first. “This is really good,” he complimented softly. “Thank you.”

His eyes drifted out towards the lake, finding it to be just about as pretty as he’d heard, even if he might not admit it out loud. A little sandy beach was just a short ways away, and he wondered if maybe he’d be allowed to wander that far after they were done.

He nibbled on a chip and let his gaze move to Sam. She seemed happy today. She was always happy but… there was a different kind of spark in her eyes today, and he wondered what it was from. “Thanks for keeping your word,” he mentioned. “About bringing me here.”

Zan laughed and nodded. “You got it. And for the record, I agree. I don’t like hockey pucks either.”

Hunter chuckled and came to look around his shoulder. “You sure you know what you’re doing?”

“Hey now.” Zan threatened him with the tongs. “Out of my zone.”

“Alright, alright.” Hunter held up his hands. “Just checking.” He threw Destiny a wink, then moved over to Ryan, reaching over her shoulder to steal a chip. Lingering, he stole a kiss to her cheek.

Zan caught them out of the corner of his eye and grinned, turning back to the grill. It only took a few minutes to finish up the meat, and soon, they were sitting around the table chatting and laughing.

As there was a little lull, Hunter finished chewing his mouthful and looked between Zan and Destiny. “So… you two…?”

Zan’s cheeks gained a bit of color as he glanced at Destiny. “Oh, we-we’re…” He cleared his throat before smiling. “We’re good friends.” He elbowed her teasingly. “Right?”

Fancy

As night came and Bree made herself comfortable she only left every now and then to get coffee or something to eat but always came back. Her place was at his side for as long as it took. Hearing Gunner’s comment Bree smiled. Was it a good idea to give him a kiss if he didn’t remember? Maybe it would help? Really there was no harm right?

   “A kiss would be nice since you don’t mind.”

Standing Bree drew closer and sat down on the edge of the bed. Taking one of his hands in her own she just held it for a long moment. Bringing her other hand to his face Bree ran her finger over his cheek. Finally drawing closer she leaned in and pressed her lips to his. Letting it linger for a long moment she finally pulled away and smiled.

   “I hope you rest well Gunner!”

Nodding for Aaron to follow Sam grabbed a bag that had their lunch in it and headed towards the exit. Making sure Aaron was with her Sam continued making her way out and to her car. Putting there bag lunch in the back she got in the driver seat waiting for Aaron to get in.

   “Off and away.”

It didn’t take to long to get to the little park Aaron had been talking about. The ride was nice and the conversation was kept good as well. Sam enjoyed the ride and finally pulling into the parking lot she had a feeling it would be a good day,

   “Here you take this bag, I’ll get a blanket to sit on.”

Going to the back of the car and grabbing a blanket Sam lead the way. Finding a nice shady area of the park under a tree Sam set the blanket out. Sitting down she started to take the food out putting it in from of them.

    “Nothing to fancy. Just sandwiches, mac salad, chips, and fruit. Hope that’s ok.”

Getting everything ready at home Destiny smiled seeing Ryan and Hunter join them. She new they said they would come but there was still a moment she wondered if they really would. It was nice to know they were true to their word.

   “Hey Guys. Happy you could make it on short notice.”

   “Of course it was to much of a nice day to let it waste.”

Ryan smiled finding a empty bowl on the table and empting a bag of chips into it. It was to much of a nice day to let it go to waste.

    “Who likes black burgers…that’s just wrong. I’ll take mine medium rare.”

   “I’ll take mine medium please.”

Kiss Goodnight

Gunner tried to smile, but it wasn’t easy. Bree seemed to be a pretty positive individual. But he could tell by the look in her eyes that this was difficult for her. And obviously there was good reason.

He accepted her help eating, even though it was frustrating. Handling a fork and knife proved even worse than a spoon, but she was kind and cut up his chicken for him, then helped him get his fork situated in his hand so he could at least manage some bites by himself. JT came in at one point to check on him, and assured him again that this was normal, and that with some work, he’d be able to gain back the skills he’d lost. Gunner tried to believe him, but it was just a little hard when he was the one who suddenly couldn’t handle a fork.

A couple more visitors came and went, and Gunner’s memories remained patchy. Most people he recognized but might not be sure why or know where he knew them from. By the end of the day, he had grasped the idea that he’d needed this surgery and wasn’t working for the Elite right now because of that, but they were taking care of him. He was still spared details of his mental instability and Brookshire residence for now, with JT not wanting to push it too far yet.

By nightfall, Gunner was exhausted and almost glad he was in a hospital so all he needed to do was rest. Having Bree there was a strange sort of comfort. It really did feel like he’d known her a long time, even though he couldn’t recall it. Just starting to doze off, he forced his eyes open and looked over at her. “I’m not… sure what our normal routine is…” He bit his lip, only half hiding his grin. “But if you want a kiss goodnight, I won’t say no.”

Ceasing the tennis ball play he’d picked up again later that morning, Aaron looked quickly to the door as Sam entered. He sat up immediately and nodded. “I’ve been ready all week.” He put his boots on as quickly as he could – which wasn’t as fast as he’d like on account of his knee, donned his brace again, and grabbed both crutches this time. He didn’t want just using one to slow them down today.

“Okay. Lead the way.”

Zan smiled and nodded. “Okay.” He might feel differently tomorrow, but for now… coming back here with Destiny didn’t seem like such a bad idea. Without lingering any longer, he put the car in gear and headed back to her place…

…Getting back to the house, they had the grill fired up with meat on it by the time they could hear the rev of a motorcycle. And it wasn’t but a few minutes later that Hunter and Ryan were with them out back of the house.

“Hey, guys!” Zan greeted them with a smile. “Glad you could make it.”

“For food? Of course!” Hunter set the sack of soda pop and chips on the table.

Zan grinned and flipped over the burgers and hotdogs. “Alright, I need to know who likes their meat the way it is now, and who likes it black.”

As Long

   “For me I don’t mind at all. It makes me sadder than anything because you cant remember the important things in your life.”

Helping Gunner continue to eat Bree kept the conversation light with him, and some light joking. She knew he felt helpless and she wanted to at least relieve that just a little bit. Even if he didn’t remember her they were in this together. Even if he never remembered her at all.

    “This is only a minor setback as long as you get better and continue to live a healthy life I will be happy.”

Signing the last bit of paperwork she needed to sign Sam put everything in a neat pile. Hearing Hal’s comment Sam looked to him and gave a smile. She thought it was cute he was worried about her. It made he feel good that he cared.

    “Thank you for worrying. I’ll be carful I promise.”

Going over to Hal Sam leaned down and placed a quick kiss on his lips. Pulling away Sam grabbed her jacket and disappeared from the room. Heading to Aaron’s room she knocked on the door before poking her head in. Smiling at Aaron she came the rest of the way in.

   “Hey…you ready for our grand adventure?”

   “Of course that is ok with me. I’d love it if you came more often with me.”

Destiny smiled at Zan. She new he had felt uncomfortable but was happy he stayed and tried anyways. Knowing he wanted to come back sometime made her feel good. He seemed to have enjoyed himself too and for that she was pleased.

   “I go every week so if you ever want to come with me again I wouldn’t mind.”

Giving a kiss to Hunter Ryan smiled. Nothing else was going on today so being invited to the Barbeque was nice. It would give them something to do and Zan and Destiny sounded nice.

Swinging her leg over the bike and slipping her helmet on Ryan wrapped her arms around Hunter and gave a little squeeze.

   “The long way sounds like fun.”

Long Way

Letting Bree help him, Gunner felt much like a child. Not that he remembered being a child. But apparently that was nothing new. He didn’t complain though. Bree had a nice touch, he concluded. Managing the mouthful of applesauce, he nodded slowly, then sighed. “Thanks. Feels kinda… helpless at the moment.” He moved his hand so she could help him with another bite.

“I’m sorry,” he apologized quietly after he’d swallowed his mouthful. “As weird as this is for me, I… I can’t imagine it’s very pleasant for you either.”

Hal sighed as Sam went back to her own chair, but obviously they did have  work to do. He returned her grin though, along with a wink. They wouldn’t get in trouble, but their… antics… might be frowned upon if they slacked in their work.

The morning progressed quickly, and work did get accomplished - it helped that Hal was called away for a while to go over a case with Wyatt. When he returned though, it was getting close to noon. He glanced at the clock, then over to Sam. His expression was more serious this time. “Be careful with Aaron today, okay? I trust you know what you’re doing, I just… worry a little.”

Zan nodded and quickly replied to Hunter, putting his phone away and trying to concentrate on the sermon again. Once over, he was fairly quiet and just followed Destiny again until they made their way back outside into the sunshine.

After they’d gotten into his car, he was thoughtful for a moment before looking over at her. “Thanks… for inviting me today. I, um… I think it was good for me… to be here.” He glanced back out at the church, his mind lost for a few seconds. “I might… come back sometime.” He looked at her again. “If that’s okay with you, I mean.”

“Chips and drinks.” Hunter handed Ryan the backpack as they both prepared to get back on his bike after church. “I think we can handle that.” He handed her a helmet, too. They hadn’t had any real plans today, so hearing from Zan had been rather nice. Maybe they were making some new friends through all this.

He leaned closer to give Ryan a kiss before she put on the helmet. “Maybe we’ll take the long way to the store…”

Trouble

As dinner came Bree was pleased that Gunner was at least going to try and eat. He needed to keep his strength up if he was going to get any better. Not having to fight with him to eat was a nice perk.

Watching as Gunner struggled with his applesauce Bree felt bad. She could see how frustrated he was and it made her sad. Setting her own fork and food aside Bree got up and came over to the bedside. Smiling at Gunner again she nodded before taking his hand in her own.

    “The longer you wait the harder it will be…here let me help.”

Curling his fingers around the spoon to hold it she kept her own fingers over top if his. Dipping it into the applesauce and then bringing it to his mouth.

  

    “See..it will just take time.”

Sam smiled sitting in Hal’s lap with her arm around him. They really couldn’t sit like this all day even if they wanted too. She did hope that the newness would never ware away though, maybe in time be a little less, but she hoped if this was meant to be there would always be that spark she loved.

   “Alright we better get to work before we get in trouble.”

Moving off of Hal Sam went back to her own chair and sat down. Pulling out some paperwork she needed to get to before going out with Aaron. Glancing at Hal thought she grinned again. Work sure did seem to get a whole lot more exciting now.

Looking down and seeing Hunter’s message Destiny smiled. She has happy they agreed to come after church. She liked them, even if they were much different from herself. Ryan was nice, Hunter was funny, and they did all get along.

Moving closer to Zan  Destiny thought for a long moment before whispering.

   “Tell them to bring just chips, and drinks. I’m pretty sure I have the rest.”

Uncomfortable

Gunner appreciated Bree’s understanding and kindness. He couldn’t help but wonder though… what if he never did remember? What did that mean? What would that mean for her? Could he learn to love her as he apparently had once? Or was it all gone for good? He ran his thumb over her hand gently. She did seem awfully nice, and he did like her.

“Um… I think… I’m feeling okay. Got quite a headache.” He yawned, then gave her a sleepy grin. “And I guess I’m pretty tired.”

“Not surprising.” JT had just come into the room, and came up behind Bree, setting a hand on her shoulder. “How about we give him a break and let him sleep a little while, huh?”

Gunner was just as glad to be able to take a nap – he really was tired, and even though he was happy for Bree’s company, it all really was pretty overwhelming. A break would be nice…

…Later that day, others returned to see him. He remembered Con and Pete and Reese, although his timeline was a bit off. He couldn’t remember that Con was married, and he vaguely recalled being in Texas with Pete. Overall, he knew them, but there were chunks missing. They all made sure to not let him feel too badly though, and tried to encourage him…

…After sleeping off and on all afternoon, Gunner finally agreed to eating something. He’d just been lying here in bed all day, and though still weary, it might be good to get something in his stomach. Bree was back, and he didn’t mind. She did make for good company – he couldn’t deny that. Getting settled with his tray of food, he went for the applesauce first. Not his favorite, but it didn’t look too bad.

Reaching for the spoon though, his fingers fumbled with it. He tried to adjust it in his hand, but it was as if his fingers had forgotten how. He frowned in frustration. He’d struggled with something similar earlier and JT had told him it had to do with a loss of fine motor skills – that it could be relearned. Even so, it was frustrating and just a little scary.

After trying again and dropping the spoon right in the applesauce, he sighed and leaned back in his pillow as he glanced at Bree. “Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea,” he mused wryly.

As Sam returned to kiss him yet again, Hal couldn’t resist. Maybe the newness would wear off eventually, but right now… they could be here, like this, forever, and he wouldn’t mind one bit. Pausing for a moment, he drew back and coaxed her out of her chair and sideways onto his lap where he could put his arms around her and return to her lips.

“We should… get... to work,” he mumbled. He held her tighter and deepened his kiss, soaking in every little sensation of having Sam in his arms. Never had he imagined he’d be in this position with her, but now that he was… he wasn’t so sure he’d be able to give it up. Maybe it was just because it had been so long since he’d been close to any woman… or maybe it was because Sam really was that special.

His lips moved to her neck, then back up again. “Tell me to get busy… or I never will.”

Getting to the church with Destiny, Zan walked tall with confidence, and smiled and shook hands as he was introduced to some other people. On the inside though, he was far less comfortable. He stuck close to Destiny and once seated with her in the sanctuary, he glanced around at the surroundings. It was a nice building. And there was a sense of… warmth. Even so, his insides tumbled just a bit.

“Hmm?” He turned to Destiny before grinning. “Right. Casual.” He wasn’t so sure on the fitting in part though.

As the service progressed, he found himself paying closer attention than he’d intended… and feeling a bit more uncomfortable than intended as well. Maybe it was just being in a new place. Maybe it was feeling out of his element. Or maybe it was knowing deep down he’d been away from this for far too long.

Feeling his phone vibrate in his pocket, he dared look at it, then nudged Destiny with his elbow and showed her Hunter’s text message.

We’re at church.

BBQ after tho sounds great.

Just let us know what to bring.

Noon

Sitting with Gunner and having him look at her like he didn’t know who she was, was hard. Everything they has shared gone, but it was kind of fun reliving everything and tell him about it. She had hope that everything would come back to him. She would be there as long as it took too, and even longer if need be. She loved Gunner no matter what.

   “You both are right; it might come back. Today, tomorrow, in a month…I’ll keep trying to remind you as much as I can without pushing too hard.”

Bree smiled and gave Gunner’s hand a pat. It was hard, so hard for her but she couldn’t give up, and she couldn’t leave him. She had promised she wouldn’t.

    “In general, confusion aside, how are you feeling?”

Sam couldn’t help but laugh only to be cut off from saying anything as Hal came in for another kiss. His lips were so soft, and tasted sweet, she enjoyed the feeling that shot through her. It was like a warm blanket on a cold night.

    “Mmm…I was thinking about taking him around noon. So we have a few hours.”

Leaning into Hal’s hand Sam searched Hal’s eyes taking in the emotions that showed in them. It made her feel nice to have him look at her with such emotion. Leaning in again Sam pressed her lips against Hal’s and let her own emotion show. He deserved to be happy, he deserved this.

Walking outside with Zan Destiny soaked in the sun for a long moment before getting into his car. It really was a nice day out and she was glad. It couldn’t be more perfect even if she had asked. Finally getting in the car she smiled.

   “Ok…so its down 4^th st….”

It didn’t take long getting to the church and get inside. Introducing Zan to a few different people they finally found a spot to sit. She hoped he was comfortable. Everyone had been pretty inviting this morning and that made her feel good.

   “See…casual. You fit right in.”

I Wish I Could

Watching as Bree left the room, Gunner grew even more uneasy. “Hey… Doc…?”

JT turned around and came back over to the bed. “I know things seem kinda fuzzy right now.”

“Yeah… yeah, they sure do. I, um… I’m not… remembering things I should… am I?”

JT pursed his lips grimly before he shook his head. “No, you’re not. It’s okay though. You’ve been through a lot. You just need to rest and let yourself recover.”

Gunner wasn’t totally convinced, but he nodded. He was too tired to fight any of this anyway. He still really wasn’t sure why he was here or what exactly had happened but something told him to trust the doctor…

When Bree returned, Gunner had dozed off and woken again, and was now sitting up trying to find something interesting on television. He was surprised she’d come back, but smiled at the milkshake. “Mm… I have a strange feeling… you know what I like.”

Just sitting and listening, Gunner could vaguely remember going to visit Bree at the children’s hospital. Even though he couldn’t remember details, he had a warm feeling when he thought about it. Being told how they dated and how they were now engaged, he felt more sad than anything. He believed her. He just… couldn’t remember. He could remember bits and pieces from his own past – working with the Elite was a memory that seemed to be intact. But anything more recent was less than foggy even. He was spared details of Brookshire for now at least, although he could sense there was more to his surgery than what he knew, but he wasn’t going to ask yet.

Having finished most of his milkshake, he leaned back in his pillow and looked at Bree with apology. “I believe you,” he mentioned softly. “And I wish I could remember all that… I really do.” He searched her face. “I… I feel like all of that is just… so close, but I just can’t quite make it out.” He dropped his gaze sadly. “Maybe your uncle is right that it’ll still come back…”

Receiving and returning Sam’s kiss, Hal grinned. He’d had just a slight bit of fear that maybe last night had been a one-time thing, but now was convinced otherwise. With his forehead against hers, he was about to say something when they were interrupted. With wide eyes, he stared at the doorway where Adison had very quickly disappeared from again.

Looking back at Sam as she commented, he just smirked. “Why? There’s no lock on the filing room.” Grinning again, he leaned back in to give her another kiss, letting this one linger longer. “I think she was gonna ask you about Aaron,” he mumbled as his hand came up to the side of her face. “How much… time we got?”

“Hey, I’m all for barbecues.” Zan nodded his agreement. “I’ve got Hunter’s number – I can text him to see if they’d be up for that too. And if not… it’ll just have to be you and me.” He smiled as he led the way outside and into the sunshine.

Once in his borrowed car, he glanced over at her, still thinking how pretty she looked this morning. “Okay… tell me which way to go.”

BBQ

Being pulled to the side with JT Bree just looked up at him. She was scared even if her Uncle promised it would come back to him. What if he didn’t remember her, what if it all was really lost. There whole history together.

   “I…I got to get something to drink.”

Turning Bree quickly left the room. Once in the hall way she leaned against the wall and closed her eyes trying to clear her mind. Heading towards the dinning hall Bree ordered something to drink and just sat as he tears streamed down her cheeks.

…It was almost an hour later when Bree came back to Gunner’s room. Knocking gently she entered and came over to his bed again. Holding out a milkshake for him she smiled.

   “I’m sorry about before…would it be ok if we talked?”

Pulling up a chair to the side of the bed and sitting down Bree started to explain a little about him and herself. She tried to take it slow but not leave out any details since she didn’t know what one could trigger a memorie.

   “That will be perfectly fine. Like I said it’s a pretty casual church.”

Smiling at Zan her cheeks turned a little red before she went to finish getting ready. It didn’t take her long before she came back into the kitchen. Coming up alongside Zan Destiny let out a sigh. Today was going to be a good day she could tell already.

   “I’m ready when you are. I was thinking maybe after chuck we could see if maybe Ryan and Hunter would like to come over for a BBQ.”

As Hal came closer Sam’s lips turned up in a smile. She felt a tingle down her back feeling Hal’s breath on her cheek. Maybe she didn’t have to feel like she needed to walk egg shells.

   “I slept very well.”

Turning her head to look at Hal Sam’s eyes danced with humor. Leaning in Sam placed a kiss on his lips before pulling away and resting her forehead against his just looking into his eyes.

   “Hey Sam, Kirk wondered when you were going to take Aaro….whoa…”

Adison skidded to a halt as she came into the security room. Seeing Sam and Hal close she never would of guessed. Actually, it was kind of a shock. Shaking her head finally she tried to get back on track.

   “Never mind…I’ll tell Kirk you are busy right now.”

Turning Adison left the room and went back to her desk to continue her work.

Looking back at Hal Sam’s eyes were a little wide as she couldn’t help but laugh at the same time.

  “I guess we should start locking that door.”

Gently

Zan chuckled as a little color came to his cheeks. “Thanks. I, um...” He gestured to his clothes. “Hope this is okay.” He cocked his head, making it obvious he was also giving her a once over. His lips turned up into a smile. “You look as pretty as always.”

Waiting for her to finish getting ready, he wandered into the kitchen to help himself to a glass of water. Leaning on the counter, he looked out the back window as the sun cast a glow over the yard. It really was a gorgeous morning.

Looking up from his chair, Hal automatically smiled. “Hi…” His expression turned into one almost sheepish. “Yeah… slept well… great, actually.”

Pausing a moment, he glanced down, then pushed with his feet to slide his chair over next to hers. He leaned over so his shoulder was up against her, and he turned his face so it was barely inches from hers. A little grin emerged. “Did you sleep well?”

Gunner really did feel badly, especially when he saw Bree’s tears. “I…” He shook his head. “I like vampires but... I’m sorry, I don’t… I don’t understand.” He tried so hard to make sense of all this. What was he missing? What had he forgotten? What was really happening here? He cringed a little and put a hand to his head.

“Hey, Bree, hon.” JT gave her shoulder a squeeze. “It’s okay, just give him some space, alright? Come here.” He pried her away and moved her a few feet from the bed, lowering his voice. “It’s going to be okay,” he assured. “He remembers seeing you – that’s a very good thing. It may just take a little while for it all to come back to him.” He reached up and wiped the tears from her cheeks, hoping that his own words were true. “Just spend time with him and talk to him. Explain gently about you two – but start back at the beginning. His recall will have to happen naturally. You can’t force it, and we don’t want to overwhelm him. There is probably a little swelling in his brain from the surgery too, and as that goes down, we’ll get a clearer picture of what he’s lost – if anything.” He sighed. “We just have to be patient.”

Gunner frowned, not able to make out what JT was saying. He felt like he knew what was happening. But the answers were too far away for him to access. Like wanting to use a particular word but not being able to remember it. He just wanted to know what really was going on.

Business as Normal?

Hearing the knock at the door Destiny wondered to it. Seeing Zan she had smiled. He said he would come but she couldn’t help but wonder if he really would or not. She was very happy he had.

   “Zan hey! Come on in.”

Stepping to the side do he could come in Destiny walked to the living room. Giving Zan a once over he looked a little more dressed up then normal but it looks good on him.

   “If you’d like something to drink help yourself. I should be ready in a second. You look nice this morning!”

Getting into the office Sam was in a good mood. She had slept really good last night and was looking forward to the morning. Entering the security room she sat down in her normal chair and looked at Hal for a long moment. After last night she wasn’t sure how they were going to act at work. Should she give him a morning kiss, or business as normal? Maybe she would leave that to him.

   “Good Morning! Sleep well?”

Still sitting on the bed Bree heard Gunner’s words and her pulse quickened. He didn’t remember her? A wave of fear passed over her as she looked at her Uncle with question.

   “He doesn’t remember me?!”

Looking back at Gunner her eyes teared a little more as they pleaded with him. How could this happen.

   “Gunner…its me Bree and you are my vampire.”

Missed Something

Catching movement at the doorway, Gunner turned his head to see a young woman approaching. She looked… happy. But worried. He cocked his head, wondering where he’d seen her before.

Seeing his niece, JT was just about to tell her to be cautious for the moment, but it was too late. She’d already reached the bedside.

Receiving her kiss, Gunner didn’t pull away, but his eyes widened. He stared up at her in shock, then glanced down to where she held his hand. “Um…” He blinked. “I’m… I’m feeling okay… especially after that.” He quirked a grin. “But, um…” His eyes looked back to JT then returned to the woman. “Who…” He squinted up at her. “Oh yeah… you’re that nurse… you work with kids, right? But…” His eyes fell to her hand on his again, and he saw she wore a ring.

JT came up behind her and forced another smile as he set a hand on her shoulder. “Yes, she’s a nurse,” he confirmed. “And also my niece.”

“Ah…” Gunner was still completely lost as to why she had kissed him or was holding his hand now. His eyes searched hers for answers. Why was she crying? It made him feel bad, but he didn’t know what to do. “I think… maybe I missed something.”

“Okay.” Scott smiled, grateful for Hope’s understanding. She always had understood him, even when others hadn’t.

Once he’d eaten as much as he could, he helped clear the dishes, then joined her in the living room. It was a ways into the movie, and he’d fallen asleep again, this time with his head in Hope’s lap, resting peacefully. Domino lay at his feet, perfectly content as well.

Hal swiveled back and forth in his chair, going back through a little bit of footage from the night before just so it was double-checked after Ty had left. There wasn’t much else going on this morning though. Although he’d come in earlier than normal. After sleeping well the night before, he’d woken early so had just decided to come in to work. And now, when thinking of Sam coming in… it was a happy feeling he felt.

Aaron threw his tennis ball to the far wall, letting it bounce back so he could catch it. Today was when Sam was going to take him to the lake. Or so she said. Or so he hoped. He was feeling extra antsy, just waiting to get out of here for a few hours. He was already dressed and waiting, but he didn’t even know what time Sam would be in, let alone what time she’d actually want to leave.

Zan knocked on Destiny’s door before stepping back to wait. He had on his usual black tee, but today he wore a dark green button-down shirt over it with the first few buttons undone, tucked into his good blue jeans. The sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, and he fiddled with his car keys. Sunday morning. Destiny had said he could dress casual, so he hoped this was alright. It had been… a very long time since he’d stepped foot in a church, and he wasn’t quite sure exactly how he felt about it. But… it would be with Destiny, and that was well worth a small bit of discomfort.

Happy

Coming back to the room Bree tossed her now empty cup of coffee in the trash. Entering the room a smile spread across her face seeing Gunner was awake. Coming closer Bree looking to her Uncle and then back to Gunner.

   “Gunner…I am so happy you are awake.”

Leaning down Bree kissed him before pulling away and smiling again. Taking his hand she held it and just running her fingers over his. She was so happy to see him awake. She had been so scared to lose him, a tear rolled down her cheek now as happiness flowed through her.

   “How are you feeling? Can we get you anything?”

Hope new that Scott just wanted to fit in and be usefully. In time she knew when he would be back to work he would be. There was so many things Scott could do that the others couldn’t and so many things he knew that others did not.

   “I think a movie sounds perfect. You don’t have to go home till you want too. Its always nice to have you here.”

Disorientation

Scott wanted to believe Hope. He really did. And maybe she was right – maybe he did just not feel confident about it. It was just hard when he felt like the entire world was moving forward and he was getting left behind.

He finally nodded. “Okay. I’ll try to trust you. I really miss seeing everyone too. I just… want to be useful again. I know now things can’t ever be like they were… I guess I just at least want to feel like I’ve got a place like before, even if it’s not the same.”

He looked down at his food and forced himself to take another bite. “Can we watch a movie tonight? I… I don’t wanna have to go home yet.”

Hal chuckled as Sam came in for another kiss. At least he could be confident that she liked what he’d given her. He returned the kiss softly and grinned, finally backing out of the doorway. Not saying any more, he turned and ambled to his car.

Getting home to his own apartment, it felt a little emptier than usual… but his heart was a little more full, making the emptiness not seem quite as bad. He had no idea where this thing with Sam might lead but… he liked her. A lot. Maybe it really was time for him to find happiness again.

The guys let Bree go and took their time following her so she could have a few minutes along with Gunner. When they arrived, they were quiet and stayed just long enough to be convinced their friend really was okay.

“We’re gonna go.” Con set a hand on Bree’s shoulder. “JT said he’d let us know when Gunner’s awake. If you need anything though… we’re just a call away…”

...Gunner slept longer than expected, but the doctors assured Bree that it was a good thing as his body began to recover. It wasn’t until early morning that Gunner started to stir…

Opening one eye slowly, then the other, Gunner tried to make sense of where he was. It felt like he’d been in a very, very long dream of some sort. But he wasn’t in his own bed. Confusion entered his muddled mind and he frowned. His head hurt. Why did his head hurt?

“Well… hello there.” JT smiled as he approached the bed. He’d just convinced Bree to go and get some coffee – she’d probably kill him now that Gunner was waking up without her.

Gunner licked his dry lips and then looked down at his arms where he was all hooked up to different machines. “Where the heck am I?” he mumbled.

JT chuckled. “You’re in the hospital. Just take it easy. What’s the last thing you remember?”

“Um…” Hospital? What had happened? Gunner blinked. “I’m not sure.”

“Do you know your name?”

Gunner rolled his eyes. “Of course I know my name. Brent Franklin.”

JT started checking him over while he talked calmly. “Do you know me?”

Gunner squinted at him, but shook his head slowly. “You… look familiar.”

JT hid his disappointment with another smile. Disorientation was normal. “Good. ‘Cause I know you pretty well.”

“So…” Gunner flinched as a bright light was shone in his eyes. “Why am I here?”

“How do you feel?”

“Like my head’s gonna split open.”

“Mm.” JT nodded. He didn’t want to overwhelm Gunner with too much information all at once. “There were some issues around an old skull injury, so we went in and fixed them.”

Gunner blinked. “Oh. I don’t…. I don’t remember that.”

“Do you remember you had an accident when you were a kid?”

“Yeah… I think so… maybe?”

JT gave him another smile. “It’s okay. Just rest right now. You don’t have to worry about anything else. Some disorientation is normal, but it should clear up.” At least he hoped so.

Confidant

Hope gave a smile and nodded. There was no doubt in her mind at all. Scott was an important part of the Elite no matter what and there would always be a spot for him.

   “Of course there is still a place. Just because Jamison is there doesn’t meant he has taken your spot. I know Dalton miss having you there and he is goanna make sure you come back.”

Giving Scott a smile he needed to work a little more on his confidence. She knew he was worried, but he was a lot more important to the Elite then he thought.

   “I know you don’t feel confidant but you do have use at the Elite still, and they do still want you, I promise you that.”

Following Hal to the door Sam leaned her head on the frame and smiled. Tonight, had been better than expected and she was pleased with the outcome.

   “Good Night Hal.”

Sam stepped forward again and pulled herself into Hal for another kiss. Letting it linger soft for a long moment Sam finally pulled away her eyes sparkling. She didn’t want to say goodnight but she new it was for the best right now.

Waiting was hard and Bree hated it. She just wanted it to be done and over with to know if Gunner was ok or not. She sat, and then stood, paced and sat again it was just hard to sit still.

Finally, as JT came into the room Bree stood and just listened. Gunner had made it out and that was what was important. Sleeping was good too because it would help with his recovery.

Not wasting any time Bree left the room and made her way to Gunner’s room. She new the others would be following and could find there own way. Getting outside the door she let out a sigh before going in.

Entering she went over to the bed and saw Gunner’s sleeping form. She was still worried, he looked small in the bed hooked up to everything. Taking his hand in her own she sat on the edge her voice soft.

   “I’m here Gunner…I’m here.”

Flying Colors

Hal grinned and gently brushed Sam’s cheek with a finger. “Yeah. Yeah, you’ll see me tomorrow.” Finally sitting up, he grabbed Sam behind her back and under her legs, picking her up in his arms as he stood. Giving her a last kiss first, he deposited her on her feet then bent to pick up the keys he just now realized he’d dropped on the floor.

Getting to the door, he opened it and turned a last time to look over his shoulder. His lips were smiling – his eyes were twinkling. “Goodnight, Sam.”

Con chuckled and nodded. “I’ll sure try.” He glanced around the room for a moment. “Where’s JT?”

“Probably scrubbing up,” Gunner responded. “He’s not performing the surgery but he wanted to be present so I guess he’ll be looking over the surgeon’s shoulders. He promised he’d knock his lights out if he made a wrong move.”

Pete laughed. “I’d like to see that.”

Gunner smirked. “You would. Unfortunately, that would probably mean I’d end up a vegetable.”

“Naw.” Con shook his head. “You’re gonna come through this with flying colors. I know it.”

Gunner sighed and found Bree’s hand to give it a squeeze. He hoped so. Oh, how he hoped so…

…The seconds turned to minutes and minutes to hours. It was a long procedure, but Con and Pete stayed the entire time. Reese showed up once to check and see how things were going, and so did a couple others from the Elite. Even if Gunner wouldn’t see them, they felt it was important to be there at least part of the time, and to also give support to Bree.

Finally Gunner was out of surgery and was taken to another room where he would be monitored closely until he woke up…

…JT came into the waiting room and removed his gloves, hat and mask. He smiled, seeing Con and Pete were with Bree. “Hey, guys.”

“Hi.” They stood expectantly. “How is he?” Con immediately asked.

JT nodded, and his eyes went to Bree. “The surgery went very well. There was a piece of bone just as suspected, and somehow the plate had also shifted – we’re talking an incredibly small distance, but it was enough to cause more trouble. So that’s been fixed as well. He’s asleep now and probably will be for several hours at least – which is good. And… we won’t know any more until he wakes up.”

“Can we see him?”

“Yes.” JT gestured to the hall “He’s in Room 302, one more floor up.”

Scott sighed but nodded. He was so bored every day, and just wanted to get back to some kind of normal routine. But he knew Hope was right. Starting out slow was best, and he knew good and well Justin would agree.

“Do you… think they still want me? I mean… I know Jamison’s been working with Dalton and… and I heard he was a super fast learn so…” He ran his fork through his food as his gaze dropped. “I just wondered if there was even still a place for me.”

Stop

Sam smiled and her eyes danced. So this is what it was like to have someone who cared, who liked her for her, who would give her this part of themselves and mean it. This is what Sam had been waiting for, her heart beat told her that as it raced inside of her, the butterfly flapping in her stomach. Just searching his face her eyes scanned every inch, every detail she could take in so tomorrow she could wake and remember his face like he was next to her.

As Hal returned again for a more softer kiss Sam accepted it returning it just as soft. Her hand finding his back, and the back of his head again just softly rubbing. It felt almost like there was more meaning in this one then the first, and Sam liked it just as much.

    “Mmm…I guess if we both want to make it to work tomorrow we should call it a night. Not that I was you to go but I will see you tomorrow…right?”

Seeing both men come in Bree smiled. It was nice to see they cared enough to bother coming and honestly she was happy her Uncle had said something. Gunner needed to know that he did have friends who cared.

As Con moved closer Bree looked up at him and smiled. It was nice to have him here, it always was and when ever Gunner was in trouble he was always the first to make it to him. Bree really appreciated that.

   “Stop meeting up like this.”

Bree smiled before looking back at Gunner and giving his back a little rub. Looking to Con again she let out a small sigh.

   “This could be the best thing you have done for me. Thank you honestly for being here for Gunner. I know it means a great deal to him.”

Thinking about Soctt’s comment for a long moment Hope wondered about him coming back to work. She didn want him to be at the office knowing he was bored not being there, not to mention she liked having him around.

    “I think…coming a few hours a week would be a good start. Justin honestly is the one handling that but I think you are doing well and when you do come back should definitely start out slow. It has been lonely without you around the office.”

Carried Away

Hal’s heart was racing as Sam pulled away, and he tried to catch his breath as well. Her comment produced a short laugh while his eyes danced. “I hope not.” His fingers ran up the side of her face, to her temple and over her ear, combing gently through her hair, then back again to repeat. “Neither do you,” he breathed.

Leaning his head back and closing his eyes, he soaked in how it felt right here, right now, holding her in his arms. Feeling her warmth. Feeling each breath. Each heartbeat. Was it in rhythm with his? His eyes opened again to meet hers. While his hand continued to comb her hair, his gaze fell into hers and he tried to memorize every detail of those mysterious eyes. “You’re amazing,” he whispered. And she actually had… chosen him?

His hand stopped behind her head to prompt her back down so his lips could find hers again. It was slower this time. More meaningful. More conscious of every silent cue. But just as deep.

Eventually he eased back with another little smile, and sighed deeply. “I should go…” Adison would be home any minute, not to mention, he really should get going before they got carried away.

Gunner bit his lip and thought for a long moment, but finally shook his head. No… no, he knew he had to do this. Otherwise they’d never know if it could have helped. He was about to say something more when a couple new figures appeared in the doorway. His eyes lit up and he smiled a little. He hadn’t thought anyone else would be here.

Con and Pete both nodded their greetings to Bree, offering encouraging smiles before approaching the bed. “You look awful,” Con commented, poking Gunner in the arm.

“Hey, watch it, Giant,” he countered. He smirked at both men. “How’d you know about this?”

Pete shrugged. “Oh, you know… word gets around.”

“Sure.” Gunner smirked and looked over at Bree. “Your uncle has a big mouth.”

Con grinned. “You really mad at him?”

Gunner sighed, but shook his head. “No… thanks for coming, you guys. This means a lot.”

“Of course,” Pete assured. “We’re gonna stay, too. So don’t you worry about anything, alright?”

“Sure, sure.” Gunner waved him off. “They’re just gonna drill a hole in my head. Nothing I haven’t been through before.”

“Exactly!”

Con shifted back closer to Bree and looked down at her, cocking his head. It always seemed they crossed paths when Gunner was in trouble. “Can I do anything for you?”

“Maybe.” Scott nodded thoughtfully. He nibbled on a bite of food as he continued to think. “If the whole thing is like a computer, maybe it’s a matter of programming it to prioritize the way I want it to.” He shrugged. “Not that I know how, but the theory at least makes sense.”

He fell quiet again as he tried to eat, giving Domino a few little morsels as well. Eventually though, he looked back over at Hope. “Do you… think I’ll be ready to go back to work soon?”

Disappoint

Sitting with Gunner Bree could see how nervous he was. Honestly she was just as nervous for him. She’d ran though her mind a million times what if something went wrong. What would she do if anything happened to him.

    “I’ll be right here when you get out I promise.”

Even if she was nervous she had to be strong for him, and support him the best she could. If he was to change his mind she understood, this was his decision and no matter what she supported him.

   “If you want to change your mind, now is the time to do it. But this might really be your chance to get better.”

Sitting down at the table with Scott once again she said a quick prayer before dishing the food out for them both. She gave Scott only a little now knowing how hungry he was. Taking a bite of her food and listing to Scott Hope smiled.

    “That’s actually a really good start.”

Hope set her fork down and looked across the table at Scott just studying him for a long moment. Maybe this was what he needed was to just focus on other stuff.

   “Maybe the key to the data is filling your mind with something else to think about or other things.”

Moving slowly to the couch with Hal Sam soaked in the sweet moment. This had been more amazing then she ever imagined it would be. Hal was a good kissed and it sent tingles up and down her spine. Letting her hand find the side of his face as she half laid on top of him her other hand found the back on his head.

Letting the moment linger she didn’t know how much time had passed and it didn’t matter much. The time could keep going by and she would be happy. Finally, though Sam broke the moment and pulled away. Looking down at Hal her eyes twinkled, and her lips curled into a smile. Breathing heavy she tried to catch her breath before finally speaking.

   “Mmm…You definitely do not disappoint do you.!”

Heavenly

“Mm… okay.” Scott tried to shake the cobwebs from his mind as he went to the fridge as Hope directed. Finding the fixings for a salad, he set to work. It was nice… finally feeling like he was functioning again. Like a halfway normal person. Maybe, just maybe there was hope after all that he could return to at least a partly normal life.

It wasn’t too much later that he was sitting with Hope at the table again, trying to eat this meal. He felt some kind of sensation that might be hunger, but he wasn’t sure that’s what it was. Either way, he forced himself to eat, knowing if he didn’t, he’d be paying for it with not only Hope’s chiding but Justin’s wrath.

“So while we were… um…” Scott’s face flushed slightly. “Well, earlier, I didn’t have any trouble at all with Agency data. I think… you helped me. I mean… I feel like maybe my mind had found something more important to concentrate on and so the data came in second.”

As Sam returned with passion, Hal got his answer. He was taken a bit of guard for a moment, not having expected quite that enthusiastic of a response. It felt like an electrical shock shot down his spine, as he felt her touch… her warmth. Just as quickly, he found himself returning her passion. His keys were dropped on the floor without notice and his now-free hand slipped around her waist, pulling her against him. His eyes closed and all of a sudden, it was just them, and the rest of the world didn’t exist.

Moving a little to the side, he ran into the armrest of the couch. Stepping around it, he sank down to sit, coaxing Sam down too. His lips moved across her cheek and neared her neck, but then returned to her own lips. Gradually easing over to lie on his back, he brought her with him as his hands wandered her back and his fingers ran through her hair. He’d almost forgotten what it was like to hold a woman in his arms like this, and Sam’s affections were… even more heavenly than he’d imagined.

Gunner sat in the hospital bed, quiet and nervous. He’d been transferred back to Northside for his surgery, and was now questioning his decision. Fiddling with the hem in the stupid hospital gown they had him in, his worried eyes glanced over at Bree who was waiting with him. Any minute now, they’d come in and take him down to the operating room.

He swallowed hard and closed his eyes, trying to keep himself calm, but it wasn’t easy. “Maybe I made the wrong choice,” he reasoned aloud. “Maybe this isn’t such a good idea after all.”

O.O

Sam chuckled at Hal’s comment and was about to say something when Hal closed the gap and his lips were on hers. Just standing there stunned for a long moment Sam wasn’t sure what to do. As Hal pulled away she just blinked at him for a long moment.

Finally, a smile spread across her lips feeling his hand on her face. Leaning into it she waited for a long moment before bringing her hand up his arm and slipping one to his back and the other to the side of his face. Closing the gap once more Sam brought her lips to Hal and finally in this moment let her passion flow though her to him. Nothing else mattered but them and now, this is what she had been longing for.

As Domino ran through the house Hope laughed from the kitchen. The little dog has so much energy and brought so much joy. There was never a dull moment with her around. As Scott came up next to her Hope smiled. Hearing his comment, she laughed a little. She hadn’t meant to ware him off.

   “You are fun, don’t you worry about falling asleep at all.”

Hope leaned over and gave Scott a kiss before turning back to the store to keep cooking. Looking at him and smiling he looked better now that he had got some rest.

   “If you want to grab the stuff from the fridge for a salad you can and start cutting it up.”

Stacy smiled at Dylan and moved over to the side as he got up. Thinking about his comment for a long second. She knew the answer already and it was clear as day. As first she didn’t think like Dylan but to be honest he was good, and he was good to Ashlee.

   “I think she would like that very much. You are an important part of her life. Good Night Dylan.”

Wore Me Out

Scott slept for quite a while longer. Certainly longer than intended. But his body was slowly trying to get back in shape, and sleeping at this point wasn’t something he could really help. Eventually though, it was Domino who grew restless and decided it was time for her master to get up. Hopping up on the couch again, she hunted for his face, and upon finding it, started to lick him.

His eyes sprang open and he jerked his face away, staring straight into her wet nose. “Domino,” he mumbled. “What are you doing?” She wriggled her stumpy tail and gave a little woof before jumping down, racing to the kitchen, racing back again, then taking to the hallway, and back to the kitchen where she tried to stop and slid past Hope, running into the cupboards. She shook her head and looked up at Hope, giving her a little woof too.

Scott groaned and sat up, rubbing his blind eye wearily. Finally getting to his feet, he wandered to the kitchen. Coming up next to Hope, he leaned his head on her shoulder and sighed. “I’m a whole barrel of fun today,” he mused sleepily. Then he grinned. “You wore me out.”

So did this mean they were more than friends? Hal still wasn’t sure. He knew good and well Sam had been flirting with him lately, and it wasn’t like he hadn’t returned the attention. But… were they really a… couple? Should he just ask? How the heck had he done this kind of thing in high school?

“So… maybe… we… well, I mean if…” He blinked, then rolled his eyes at his own idiotic behavior. “Oh for crying out loud.” If she rejected him now, so be it. If not, then he’d at least know he wasn’t completely off base.

Without any warning, he stepped up closer, closing the gap between them. He simultaneously set his palm to the side of her face and leaned down, cocking his head to place a tender kiss on her lips. His pulse was thumping so loudly in his head that he was afraid even Sam could hear it. Pulling away just a couple inches, he left his hand on her face, slowly caressing her cheek with his thumb as he searched her eyes for approval or rejection.

Dylan mulled over Stacy’s words for a few moments before giving her a faint smile. “I’ll remember that. There’s… not many people who think I’m a ‘good kid’ ya know? Maybe if I can do this and do a good job, I can prove I’m more than what I used to be.”

Finally getting to his feet, he yawned and looked up at the moon before glancing back to Stacy. “I guess… maybe I’m ready to go to bed now. Thanks.” He started to walk away, then stopped and looked over his shoulder. “Do you… think Ashlee would like it if I kept in touch with her while I’m in Nevada?”

Enjoy

Following Hal to the door Sam really had, had a nice night. It was always nice with Hal even if all the did was chat. It just felt right and to her not awkward at all.

   “I had a really nice time too.”

Smiling and shifting her weight Sam stood there just looking at Hal for a long moment. It seemed like there was more but she wasn’t sure. She knew what she wanted but the last thing she wanted to do was scar him away.

   “I’d really like to spend more time with you as well. I enjoy our time together a lot.”

Finishing in the bathroom and washing up Hope opened the door. Seeing Domino she bent down and pet the little dog behind her ears. She loved the little dog almost as much as she loved Scott. She was just a boll of energy and fluff.

   “Come on lets go see how your master is doing.”

Going back into the living room and seeing Scott was asleep again Hope smiled. Leaning down she gave him a kiss on the head.

   “I’m going to make us some dinner.”

Standing back up Hope made her way to the kitchen. Pulling a few things out to make another light dinner for herself and Scott. Humming as worked she tried to be quiet as she could till Scott woke.

Just listing to Dylan Stacy was a little surprised. At the same time she could see the longing in his eyes. It wasn’t still at all. She new a day might come with Ashlee that something like this might happen as well.

   “It does make sense. You need to make you own path no matter where it takes you. Even if its back here at least it will be your choosing.”

Shifting again Stacy thought for a long moment. It would be different without Dylan being at the ranch.

  “You are a good kid Dylan, remember that always. Follow your dreams, find your path and remember to keep you goals in sight.”

If That’s What You’d Like

Scott laughed and rolled onto his side off of Hope so she could get up. “I won’t keep you from that.” Left alone on the couch, he sighed and curled up around a throw pillow, yawning before he let his eyes fall shut again. He rested so much better when he was here, than when he was home alone. And he’d also discovered something tonight – when sharing a passionate moment with Hope, all Agency data fled. Not once had they been interrupted by his data flashes. Maybe… she was the key to learning how to overcome and control what he saw.

Domino had gotten off the couch when Hope had, and after getting herself a drink of water then checking on her master again, she trotted down the hall to sit in front of the bathroom door and wait for Hope.

In just the few minutes that Hope was gone, Scott’s body forced him back into sleep once again. He hadn’t intended to, but with days full of sessions with Justin and evenings with Hope, he was simply exhausted.

Even though Dylan hadn’t moved, he had heard someone coming and had recognized Stacy’s footsteps. Glancing up at her and squinting a little in the dark, he nodded. “Yeah, everything’s okay. Just… wasn’t tired yet.” No, that was a lie. He was very tired. “Or maybe I just didn’t feel like going to bed yet.”

He sighed and leaned his head back against the railing post. “I’m gonna be leaving when Jason and Katie do. Gonna go to the Elite for a little while to see what it’s all about.” He shrugged. “I’m super excited. All I wanna do is get out of here. And then when I think about not being here, there’s a part of me that doesn’t wanna go.” There. He’d said it out loud.

His eyes glanced up at Stacy again. “It doesn’t make any sense.”

Hal just grinned a little at Sam’s comment, and also rose. He took his empty bowl to the kitchen and rinsed it out, then went to put his shoes back on. Ready to leave, he found himself pausing at the closed door. His eyes found Sam’s, and he could feel the heat coming to the back of his neck again. “Thank you… for yet another nice evening. I, um…” He bit his lip. Was there more to this? Was there more than just a few meals together?

He cleared his throat. “I… really like spending time with you.” His hands fiddled with his keys. “And… I’d like to… do it more, if… if that’s what you’d like, too.”

Linger

   “Maybe I don’t want you to go away.”

Hope chuckled as her eyes fluttered open. It didn’t feel like that had been asleep long but it felt peaceful and the slight feeling of being tired was not fleeting. Small nap or not it had been needed and had felt good.

   “You only have to go if you want too. Other than that, it’s really nice have you here, and I don’t mind at all. I do however have to get up to use the restroom.”

Ashlee laughed at his comment and gave a nod. She could definitely handle sitting close to him. It didn’t take long to finish the chores, and dinner came and went. Ashlee had enjoyed her time with Travis like always and soon the night was coming to an end.

Having said good night to Travis Ashlee laid in her bed just staring into the dark for a long time. She felt tired, but her mind was so far from sleep. Her and Dylan didn’t talk like they once had but what would it be like without him? He was her friend and the thought of not having him around was hard. Would he keep in touch? She hoped he would.

Doing her rounds Stacy wondered the grounds just enjoying the night air. It was warm, but there was a cool wind blowing. Lightning flashes in the distance threating rain but nothing had come yet. It was a night like this Stacy loved to be out and about.

Rounding the corner of the main house movement on the porch caught Stacy’s sight. Stopping for a long moment she just watched for a long moment before seeing it was Dylan. It wasn’t odd for him to be alone, but it was later at night and he usually didn’t really linger.

Coming closer she cleared her throat not wanting to startle him. Leaning on the railing for the porch she smiled just a little. He looked like he was far away in thought.

   “Hey…everything ok?”

Sam really was enjoying the time with Hal. Even after the ice cream was gone, just the conversation, and laughter was nice. It always seemed nice to just talk about nothing, and yet everything with Hal. There always was something to talk about and never a dull moment.

Looking at Hal and seeing him look away Sam grinned. She thought it was cute when she would catch sight of him looking at her but he didn’t want her to know.

    “Well I don’t know about everyone else but I would like if you came to work tomorrow. Its mighty lonely without you around.”

Standing Sam stretched. The nights always seemed to end to soon and while she hated it she new it was just something that had to happen too. With out a night a new days couldn’t start and new adventures couldn’t begin, but still she wished sometimes they could last forever.

Won’t Ever

Travis grinned and nudged Ashlee back. “Yes. But only if you sit close to me at dinner.” He opened a stall door and swung around the corner to peer at her through the bar, lowering his voice teasingly. “Really close.”

Dylan kept himself scarce after that, teaming up with Sparky instead. Once supper finally rolled around, he sat with Sparky and Faith across the room from Ashlee and Travis, subtly avoiding them. After supper, he stuck around to talk with Katie and Jason a little, letting them know about Reese’s phone call. He didn’t stay for cards tonight though, and exited early…

…It was getting late. Everybody had finally left the main house, and the ranch was quiet. Dylan sat on the top step of his porch with his legs stretched out, simply soaking in the night air. He knew Stacy would be by any minute on her nightly rounds, but didn’t move to go inside. His mind was too full to sleep right now.

Hal followed Sam into the living room and slipped off his shoes before coming to the couch. He sank down in one corner, tucking one leg up under the other one and sitting almost sideways so he was facing Sam. He chuckled at her comment and nodded. “Sounds like you’ve got a pretty good deal then.” For him, it was hard to imagine living with anyone again. He’d gotten so used to being a bachelor again, he wasn’t sure how he’d even be able to handle any kind of roommate.

The conversation stayed light as they ate their ice cream, and soon Hal had finished his and set his bowl aside, but remained where he was, just enjoying Sam’s company. It was getting late… he’d go soon… but she didn’t seem to want to push him out the door yet, and as long as Adison wasn’t back, there shouldn’t be a problem.

Leaning his head to the side on the back of the couch, he let his eyes roam Sam’s face as she talked. Did she have any idea how beautiful she was? She was smart, caring, funny… she understood him, accepted him for who he was, and treated him well. It was just… nice.

Realizing the room had fallen quiet and he was still looking at her, he blinked and looked away, hoping she hadn’t caught him staring. He glanced over at the wall clock and sighed. “Well… I guess I should probably get these old bones to bed so I can actually show up for work tomorrow.”

Scott grinned, but said no more. And in less than five minutes, he was out. Domino joined them at some point, curling up at their feet. Scott slept peacefully for a good hour until finally waking up again in the same position he’d fallen asleep. He sighed deeply and wriggled around a little.

“Tell me to get up and go home,” he mumbled, “or I won’t ever go away.”

Waste

Ashlee laughed at Dylan. About to make another comment she stopped hearing Travis’ voice. Looking back to Dylan quickly she saw the laughter and smile fade and it almost made her heart hurt. She hared that Dylan couldn’t relax around Travis.

As Dylan walked away Ashlee caught sight of the wink Dylan threw her and smiled before turning back to the bucket she had and picked it up motioning for Travis to follow as she bumped into him slightly and smiled.

   “No rat, but lots of water. Want to help me finish up here so we can get our butts to dinner?”

Taking another scoop of her ice cream Sam was silent again for a long second. Though she eyes twinkled at the comment about him using the rec room more. Maybe from feeding him ice cream, or buying pie but at the moment it would definitely not be from her own cooking.

   “I think it’s been a few years now. After the academe, there was really no point in getting our own places. We were both hardly home so it just seemed like a waste.”

Pushing off the counter Sam used her head and motioned for Hal to come follow her to the other room. Getting to the couch she eased down relaxing. She really did like feeling so comfortable around Hal.

                                          

   “Adison is usually always busy with Kirk, so I don mind really. It like having my own place and someone else is here occasionally.”

Hope smiled as she tightened her grip around Scott a little more. For right now she didn’t mind and this moment could last for as long as they wanted.

   “I don’t mind at all. Can’t promise I won’t too though.”

Rat

Dylan smirked at Ashlee, the humor still dancing in his eyes. He wiped some water off his face and grinned again. “Killjoy.”

“Um… everything okay over here?” Travis had rounded the corner just in time to witness the end of the little water war.

Dylan looked up quickly and immediately the laughter vanished from his eyes. He held his composure though as he bent to pick up his hat, slapping it back on his head. “Oh yeah. We were just… controlling a water python. Right, Ash?” He brushed his wet shirt and wiped his face again on his sleeve. Approaching Travis, he handed him the water hose before patting his shoulder. “Here. You look like you can handle the job well enough. I’m gonna go make sure nobody gave Seven any grain.” Choosing to walk away, he threw Ashlee one last glance along with a quick wink as he went.

Left with Ashlee, Travis just shrugged and moved to the next stall. Dylan always seemed to act on the strange side. He looked at Ashlee with question though. “Heard you scream and thought maybe a rat was loose or something,” he teased.

“Mm… yes it was.” Hal sucked on his own spoonful of ice cream and sighed with content. Even if he was full from supper, this was a nice treat. And Sam already knew his weakness. “I keep hanging around with you, I’m gonna need to use the rec room more.”

He leaned back against the counter and again let his eyes roam the kitchen and the living room. “Nice place you got here,” he complimented. “How long have you and Adison roomed together?”

Scott chuckled at Hope’s comment about Domino, then just gave a long sigh. Still lying half on top of her, he could feel his exhaustion just from the whole evening. It wasn’t unusual, but somewhat frustrating since he always seemed too tired to have much fun.

He nestled in a little more and gave her a squeeze. “Wouldn’t mind if I just fell asleep right here would you?” he mumbled. “I don’t see the data when I’m with you like this.”

Top shelf

Ashlee couldn’t help but shriek as Dylan grabbed for the hose. Not letting him have it easy she held on for dear life as water sprayed all over and she tried to not get wet. Laughing she finally had to let go and stepped back as she panted for air. Just looking at Dylan and setting her hands on her hips.

    “Now….Dylan…I didn’t actually spray you. I just came close, and...we got to get this done or we’ll never have dinner.”

Though she made comments about it and it seemed like she was complaining it was really nice to see Dylan smiling, and that humor in his eye. It was sad in a way to have found this part of himself and he was leaving but maybe this was truly what he needed. He deserved to be happy and if this is what to took then Ashlee was happy.

Getting back to the house Sam went inside happy to see Adison was in fact not home. She wouldn’t have minded if she was but it was just nice to have the house to their self and enjoy each others company.

  

    “Bowls are to the left of the sink top shelf.”

Going to the freezer and pulling out the ice cream Sam took it to the counter waiting for Hal to bring the bowls. Scooping it out and putting what was left away she handed Hal his owe. Taking a spoon full Sam closed her eyes for a second smiling.

   “This was a good choice.”

As there kissing slowed Hope let out a content sigh. Hearing Scott’s comment she chuckled. If only life could really work like that and they could stay forever in that moment. It would be there own slice of heaven.

   “Mmmm….we can stay like this for a while but I don’t think forever would work.”

The thought of Justin and Reese bursting in made her chuckle a little. At least they cared enough to wonder where they were and if they were ok.

   “I think Domino might have an issue with not being fed too. But we could always call this our spot and come back whenever we want.”

Antics

Hal thought for a moment before smirking at Sam. “You just had to mention my favorite, didn’t you?” He sighed dramatically. “Well… I guess if that’s what you want, then I’ll just have to come over.” His lips twitched as he held back a smile and stood from the table. “Actually that sounds like a fine idea.”

After paying for their meal and leaving the  restaurant, Hal drove Sam back home, but this time parked to stay a while. He figured she probably wouldn’t have suggested it if Adison was going to be home, and seeing the dark windows, he knew he’d been right. It didn’t take a genius to figure out she was probably with Kirk.

Once inside, he looked around a little, finding the apartment nice. If he hadn’t known the occupants, he would have guessed it was a woman’s place just by the decorations and how things were arranged. It didn’t bother him in the least – actually, it was… kind of nice to see where Sam lived.

He found a place to set his keys and followed her to the kitchen, feeling just a little useless, but enjoying himself nonetheless. “Can I… get bowls or something? I feel like I’m hovering, just staring at you, which… is kinda creepy.”

Scott lost all sense of time as he lay with Hope, simply enjoying this time. It had been so long since he’d been willing to open up like this and been willing to even accept her affection… it almost felt brand new all over again. His heart was racing and he loved feeling Hope return all of his affection if not more.

Eventually, his kisses slowed and he just nuzzled his face into her neck, tucking his arm around her tightly. “Do we ever have to leave this?” he questioned quietly. He gave her neck a soft kiss. “’Cause I could stay like this… forever.”

Dylan’s jaw dropped, his eyes widening at Ashlee. “You so did not just spray me with that hose.” Making a grab for the nozzle, he had to wrestle her for it, during which one or both of them squeezed it. Water started going everywhere, and although Dylan yelled between laughing, he wasn’t about to give up. Horses in the nearby stalls were startled and back up to avoid the water, and a couple cats ran for cover. Dylan’s hat got knocked off and after getting sprayed in the face, he was finally able to turn it around towards Ashlee.

Lucky

Giving a wave as Nikki and Pete left Sam smiled at Hal. She was full but the thought if ice cream seemed to send a nice sensation to her taste buds. Thinking for a second she remembered something and her eyes lit up.

   “You know, I have some strawberry ice cream back at home if you’d be more comfortable having some there! Then we could take our time and enjoy it.”

Ashlee grinned again turning and pointing the water hose at Dylan. Her eyes danced playfully as she pushed the button and water shot out just for a short second landing at Dylan’s feet but not on Dylan.

   “Watch it Mr., or next time you won’t be so lucky.”

Hope soaked in Scott’s affection as she was pushed onto her back. Her arms going around him and just taking in all she could. It had been a long time since they had, had a moment like this and Hope didn’t want it to slip away without letting him know how much it meant, and how much he meant to her.

Just pulling away for a moment her eyes danced before she came back in to continue the kiss. Soaking in the moment it was just them, together, happy, lost and not caring about anything else. It was just them together, lost in eachother.

Love

Dylan could sense there was more than Ashlee was saying. But… maybe it was better that way. This whole thing would be good. He’d get to be gone from here. He wouldn’t be in the way. Travis would be thrilled he was leaving. Maybe a couple people would miss him but… mostly, he did figure his absence would hardly be noticed.

Snapping back to attention, he gave Ashlee a little grin. “Who you calling a slacker?” He shut the stall door and aimed for the next. “You just like talking big ‘cause you got the water hose in your hand.”

Being led to the living room, a tingle shot down Scott’s spine. Maybe… she really was okay with the way he was. Maybe… he really was all she needed and wanted.

Leaning into Hope’s hand after they’d sat down, he closed his eyes, just memorizing her touch. It was so soft. Warm. Caring. Keeping his eyes closed as he felt her lips on his again, he paused a moment, just feeling her own affection before returning the kiss. Drawn close, he could feel her passion, and met it with his own. He was scared, he was not a hundred percent well, he was unstable, and he was physically weak. He was hardly half the man he used to be. But he loved her.

Slowly pushing her onto her back and lying half beside, half on her, he sent light kisses around her face, partway down her neck then back up to her lips. As he held her tight, he abandoned his apprehensions, and was simply… Scott. Scott who didn’t want to lose her again. And the only way he could show it was by letting this moment speak instead of all the words that never did justice anyway.

“Yeah, it’s a great little place,” Pete agreed. There was a little pause before he tugged at Nikki’s hand. “Well, I gotta get her home. Have a good one, and I’ll see you two at work.”

“Yep.” Hal gave a short wave as they left, and watched until they’d exited the restaurant. His eyes went back to Sam and he quirked a little grin. “If… you’re not too full for ice cream, we could always go somewhere else for a while.”

Slacker

Being turned around and having Scott’s lips find hers Hope’s arms automatically went around Scott returning the kiss. It had been a long time since she had felt this, felt being this close to Scott and feeling this love. Pulling away slightly Hope smiled her voice soft.

   “Come on, let’s go to the living room.”

Taking Scott’s hand Hope lead him into the living room and to the couch. Sitting down with him Hope brought her hand to the side of Scott’s face and looked deep into his eyes. Letting her own sparkle with happiness. Leaning in to Scott again Hope’s hand went to the back of his head. Bringing her lips to his she continued the kiss him letting her own passion seep though.

Seeing for a moment a look of sadness in Dylan’s eyes Ashlee wondered about it. Did he really want to leave or was it more he felt like he had to, to know where he belonged? Either way Ashlee was going to miss him more then she would let on.

   “If you get a chance to give them what for, you do it.”

Lingering for just a moment longer Ashlee finally picked up another bucket and started to the next stall before turning to look at him again giving him a smile.

    “Come on slacker, let’s get this done.”

About to say something Sam stopped seeing Pete and the woman with him. Smiling she gave a little wave. She wasn’t expecting to see anyone from work but didn’t really mind at all.

   “Hey Pete, Hi Nikki, it nice to meet you.”

Walking hand in hand with Pete Nikki gave a little wave to the group. It was always good to see some of the people that Pete worked with even if she didn’t know them all that well.

   “Hey, its nice to see you guys.”

Hearing Hal’s comment about this being there new favorite place Sam thought for a long moment before smiling and nodding. The food here was really good.

   “The food was really good. I defiantly think we will be coming back.”

Visitors

Continuing to work alongside Ashlee, Dylan nodded. “Thanks. I’m looking forward to it. No clue what I’ll be doing – it’s not like I can really help with anything too important but at least I can see how things work and what it takes to be an agent.”

Moving to another stall, he opened that door for her as well. “And since my dad’s okay with it, maybe it’s finally the out I’ve been looking for, ya know? So I’m not just always… stuck here.” He leaned his head against the stall bars as something new flickered in his eyes. It was a form of sadness. A longing. Perhaps if one looked close enough, they might gather he didn’t really want to leave, but simply felt like he needed to. It was hard being somewhere he loved so much and yet didn’t really feel a part of it.

His eyes wandered to the next stall down where Seven was. And the look in his eye remained until he blinked, then it was gone. “Besides,” he concluded. “If I’ve ever given the chance at a piece of the Agency after what they did to me – I’ll take it.”

Smiling a little, Scott’s heart warmed at Hope’s words. He’d fought her for so long. Fought acceptance. Fought affection. Fought the new him. It felt like he was starting over entirely, and yet… having a second chance, he at least had some advantages.

Moving Hope away from the sink, he turned her around to face him, and leaned his forehead down against hers. “The dishes can wait,” he suggested quietly. His lips found hers in a kiss as he slid his arms around her waist, pulling her closer to him. His pulse quickened as he deepened his kiss almost hesitantly as if unsure if she really wanted to be this close to him again.

Hal smiled at Sam, thinking for a moment about what it had been like before she’d come to the Elite. It wasn’t all that long ago at all, but already it was almost hard to remember. It had been quieter for sure. And… definitely lonelier. He’d been used to it at the time, but now, he didn’t think he’d want to go back to it. He wasn’t sure what would happen after the move, though. Sam’s position in the security room wasn’t really realistically where she’d end up, simply because her skills weren’t really being used.

“Well, I-”

“Hey, guys.” Pete’s hand was in Nikki’s as he brought her up to their table, smiling. “Fancy meeting you two here.”

Hal looked up quickly at the interruption, unable to help it that for just a split second, he was embarrassed. Not that he should be. He was out to dinner with Sam. Just the two of them. Because he wanted to be. There was nothing wrong with it and nothing he needed to be embarrassed about. He just… hadn’t expected to see anyone else from work tonight. “Oh, hi.” He smiled and nodded to Nikki. “Good to see you.” He saw her only every once in a while, but knew well who she was. “Nikki, this is Sam, Sam this is Pete’s girl friend, Nikki.”

Pete grinned and nodded. “We just got done eating. This is one of our favorite places.”

“Mm… I think it might be a new favorite of mine too,” Hal agreed. “First try for us.” He glanced back at Sam. “What do you think? Good enough to come back sometime?”

Ever Need

Going in and filling one of the buckets with water Ashlee just turned and looked at Dylan through the bars for a long moment and raised one of her eyebrows. Did he really think no one could care he was gone?

   “I can’t speak for everyone else but I’ll miss you and notice you are gone.”

Finishing what she was doing in the stall Ashlee exited hanging the empty bucket outside the door on the little peg. Turning and continuing to walk with Dylan she listened as they walked. He really did sound happy and excited. Something Ashlee had never seen in a combination with Dylan. That alone made her happy, and excited for him.

   “That sounds like a really great opportunity for you. I really am excited for you and I hope it works out.”

Feeling Scott come up behind her Hope leaned into him slightly and brought her hands up to his arms to hold them as they were around her. She loved being in his arms, everything about it was perfect to her and she didn’t want it any other way. Turning her head she returned the soft kiss to Scott.

   “You are all I ever need, and all I ever want. I love you Scott.”

Hearing Hal’s comment Sam’s eyes widened slightly as her lips turned up in a grin. It was moments like that with Hal that made her smile even more. She liked seeing that silly side of him. Seeing the color that came to his cheeks though she decided to hold her own comment and move on. Her eyes twinkled though with humor.

   “I get what you are saying about having us there. It can’t be easy at all. Hopefully in time though It will get a little better.”

Taking a sip of water Sam couldn’t help but grin as Hal’s last comment. She was happy they got along so well.

   “Well ditto…its nice having someone at work I can get along with. Not quite as lonely as it could be for sure.”

Try It

Hal had been listening intently – seriously – until Sam’s last comment. Laughing outright, he almost spit out the mouthful of coke he’d just sipped. Grinning, his eyes danced with humor. “Well… finding a filing room can do that to a guy. Maybe I should try it.”

He shook his head as heat crawled into his face, and he took another sip of pop just to hide his expression. Composing himself, he did finally nod at her previous statement. “Maybe you’re right about Kirk. We’re just all still leery. I know we’ve talked about it before, but I don’t know how any of us can relax with the FBI hanging over us. And admitting to Kirk there’s a weakness in the ranks is just… scary.”

Scraping the last bit of rice from his plate, he finished his food, feeling very full, but very satisfied. He was glad they’d tried this place and he had a feeling they’d be back. His eyes returned to Sam’s, just letting them linger for a few moments. “With you in the mix though… maybe it’s not quite as scary.”

Scott remained at the table, turning as Hope spoke to him again. Just mulling over her words, he realized she was right about different kinds of strengths, and just hoped he really was what she needed. It didn’t feel like he was, but maybe he just needed to trust her on that one. Just the thought of her crying at all put a twinge in his heart.

Slowly rising, he wandered over to the sink, coming up behind her, draping his arms over her shoulders and leaning around to kiss her cheek. He knew he didn’t have the big strong arms it seemed women always preferred. But… maybe Hope just needed him to be… him.

“I don’t feel strong,” he admitted softly. “But I know you wouldn’t lie to me.” He gave her a little squeeze. “You’re exactly who I need too,” he whispered. “And I love you.”

Dylan was a little surprised to see the brief sadness in Ashlee’s eyes. Even though her words were encouraging, he could sense her disappointment. “Eh, you got nothing to be sad about. Nobody will even notice I’m gone.”

He slid open a stall door so she could enter and fill the mare’s water bucket, and looked in at her through the bars. “Of course I’ll say goodbye though. I’m not that big of a jerk.” His lips curled into just a faint grin. “Well… not usually.” His grin turned into a smile. “I’m gonna see if I can leave when Katie and Jason do so I can ride back with them. If not, then prolly soon after. Reese is gonna have to set up exactly what I’ll be doing and who will be in charge of me.”

File Room

Setting her own fork down Hope shook her head at Scott’s comment. She hated he didn’t think he was strong. He honestly was strong even if he didn’t think so. Studying his face for a long moment and taking a sip of her water Hope finally spoke again.

    “I know I said it before but you are strong Scott. In different ways then you like but you are. We balance each other out more then we think. You are exactly what I need in my life and I would never want anymore.”

Quiet again she stood and took their plates. Scraping off what was left of the dinner and then putting them into the sink. Starting to fill it with water she watched the bubbles form before shutting the water off and turning back to Scott.

   “If I started crying right here, I know you would get up and comfort me. That is being strong too. Sometimes being strong for the other person is the best kind of strong there is.”

Grabbing a tomato that was sitting on the edge of everything else Sam popped it into her mouth chewing on it for a long second. Thinking about what Hal said with his anxiety. She had never struggled with something like that before to know what it felt like but she had seen it bother Hal before to see it was uncomfortable and not fun.

   “I guess several different variables could affect something like that. Can be hard to really pin point one.”

Cocking her head, she just watching Hal for another long moment. She knew he didn’t know Kirk and he could be a little intimidating at times but really he was a sweet and caring guy once you got to know him. It just took a little bit to get to that point.

  “I don’t think you give Kirk enough credit. I think he would do all he could to work with you and try to help you get better, or fit.”

Sam thought about Jamison being at the Elite. Jamison had been almost an outcaste at the FBI and yet here he was seeming to get along just fine. Kirk had a knack for seeing the best in people and she was sure if given the chance he would see that in Hal too.

   “Kirk can be rough, and takes his job seriously but he is a good guy. Not to mention I think He has loosened up a little bit not that he and Adison have found interest in the file room.”

Walking with Dylan Ashlee helped with the other hose to fill up the buckets she had listing to him at the same time. Hearing about his opportunity to leave the ranch she couldn’t help the look of sadness that passed through her eyes as she looked at him. They might not talk as often as she wished but he was still part of her life and one of the very few friends she had. As the same time though she was excited for him and didn’t want to feel like a downer because she was thinking of only herself.

   “Wow Dylan that’s really great. I mean I am sad you will be leaving but at the same time I’m excited for you and this new adventure. Do you know when you will be leaving? You better say goodbye before you do.”

More

Dylan blinked and tried to recover before he nodded. “Um, yeah. Yeah, everything’s okay. Better than okay, actually.” He’d been shocked by the conversation with Reese. Apparently his dad had given him the “okay” to allow Dylan to come and be involved in the Elite. Dylan had been prepared for a bigger fight, but it looked like he wouldn’t have to this time.

He turned to walk with Ashlee out to the water hydrant to turn on the hose so they could fill water buckets. “Just got off the phone with Reese… you know… chief of the Elite. He said I could come and be kinda like an intern. Learn what they do and stuff.” He turned on the water and started pulling the hose from where it had been used in the nearby corral. “Didn’t think Dad was gonna let me but… shocker of shockers, he actually told Reese he was okay with it.”

Hal squinted one eye at Sam, contemplating what she’d said. Was it because of his private investigating she’d suggested Pete and Ron? He’d worked with Pete more in the past, and he did know his stuff when it came to the investigative end of things.

He took another bite of food, giving himself a few more seconds to mull over the options. “I don’t know why I’ve gotten worse lately,” he admitted. “I mean, I’ve told you I’ve struggled since I was a kid but I dunno… it’s like a few years ago, I had some bad days every now and then when I had too much action. Now it’s like I can hardly handle any action at all. Just thinking about being out in the field makes my hands go clammy and…” His eyes dropped. “If Reese or Kirk found out, then they would definitely suggest it was time for me to move on.”

Scott managed a little smile. He was glad he could make Hope happy with something at least. He really was trying. It had been so long since he’d had this kind of motivation though, that it really was exhausting. He got so tired so fast, but he did want to be well again. He still had bouts with anger, but Justin was helping him with that, too. And eating better food seemed to be helping balance him out as well, including his overall mood.

After eating about half his food, he set his fork down. Maybe he’d try to eat a little more later, but for now, that was all he could take. “I… I know you always tell me not to say sorry but… but I really am sorry I’m not… more.” His good eye roamed the table and shifted his weight a little nervously. “I mean… you’re the strong one and… and I feel like…” He shrugged. “Like I’m not…” He swallowed hard as his emotions started to rise. He hadn’t intended on that happening, so he was quiet for a moment, trying to regroup. “I feel like I should be the… the strong one. The protector and… and I’m too weak.”

He finally lifted his gaze to look across the table at her. “And I wish I was more.”

Anti-Social

Hope gave a thoughtful nod as she listened to Scott. At least it was getting a little better and it was more of a start for him to control it. She knew he was frustrated and wish there was more to do but honestly it was time that was going to help like it has.

    “Just keep with it. You have come so far already; I am proud of you.”

Taking her own fork and getting some pasta she munched on it quiet again for a long moment. Just watching Scott. She was happy he was coming over more and spending time with her. She had missed this a great deal.

   “You are very welcome and I am happy you have been liking what I make for you. I’m happy you came over again so thank you as well.”

Thinking for a long second Sam took another bite of her food. She didn’t know what was going to happen when they moved but she didn’t think they would get rid of anyone else. No matter what she was almost sure of it.

   “I honestly don’t think Reese would let that happen, and I don’t think Kirk wants that either. I know its hard to trust him but he’s a pretty understanding guy.”

Quiet again Sam leaned on the table just looking at Hal. Cocking her head for a second she thought.

   “You know if you wanted I could always talk to Kirk about putting you with Ron and Pete. They could do the work your anxiety can’t handle and maybe you can do research and stuff for them. You do have the know how.”

Almost running into Dylan as he came into the barn Ashlee stopped and just looked at him for a long second. It was very unlike him to be late to the chores. Cocking her head she just looked at him for another moment before finally talking.

   “I’m just about to check the on the horses for water, and food if you want to help me. Everything ok?”

As long as I am with you I don’t care what we do.

Katie slipped her hand into Jason’s and gave it a little squeeze. Being with him she didn’t care what they did. Spending a little time with the others did sound nice too. At least then no one could label them Anti Social.

Flare

Scott speared another piece of pasta with his fork and chewed it slowly. “Um… kinda. I can’t seem to shut it off very well, but it doesn’t take me by surprise as much now. Like, I can ignore it better than I was. I just… still haven’t figure out what triggers it in the first place.” He paused as he looked over at her. “Like… right now, I’m seeing data on some Agency operatives and I have no idea why. If it’s a word or phrase or thought that brings it on… It’s right in front of my face but I can kinda look around it so I can stay halfway focused.”

His gaze dropped as he ate another piece of pasta. “Justin hasn’t said so, but… I don’t think he’ll let me go back to work until I at least gain a little bit of control since… I can’t really focus a hundred percent on anything when I get a data surge like that.”

It was disappointing for him. Frustrating. Maddening. Disheartening. But he didn’t know what else to do but just try to survive and hope that one of these days, he’d figure something out.

“Thanks for making supper again tonight.” He changed the subject and singled out another piece of pasta. “It tastes really good.” Anybody else wouldn’t think so with how little he ate, but he really did like it, and hoped that Hope knew that.

“Yeah…” Hal paused with fork in hand as he thought about the Elite. He wanted trust Kirk and Adison… he trusted Sam. But being under the FBI’s thumb was still hard. “I guess maybe I’m a little concerned they’re not gonna need me around. I know they said Gunner was the only agent to go but I dunno…” He shrugged and took another bite of his food – which was very good. “I don’t do much other than watch cameras anymore.” Not that he could blame them. Ever since going public, he’d withdrawn some, especially since his anxiety issues had worsened.

There was just a bit of fear in his eyes now as he looked over at Sam. He didn’t like talking about this out loud, but she was probably the only one he’d confide in. “Or maybe I’m afraid they’re gonna put me in a position where my anxiety is gonna flare and they’ll find out I can’t handle what they thought I could.”

“I guess we don’t really make it easy on him, do we?” Jason mused. He wondered if Rick would even come back to the Elite after this, or if this was just a one-time thing since they had needed his help. “Wanna go help in the barn with chores? I told my mom I was gonna eat supper up at the main house tonight so I could spend time with some of the others.”

Mick was just on his way from the office to start chores when the phone rang, keeping him there a few minutes longer. Hearing it was Reese, his eyebrows arched. It had been a couple days since Dylan had talked to Katie and Jason – he shouldn’t be surprised now by the call. The conversation lasted at least half an hour before Mick could finally leave to head to the barn again…

Dylan closed the stall door and aimed for the feed room when his phone buzzed in his pocket. Odd, since the only carried it so if someone was looking for him around here, they could get a hold of him. Everyone should know he’d be in the barn at this time of day. He paused in the barn aisle and looked at the strange number. Odd. But no harm in answering it. “Hello?”

“Hi, Dylan? This is Mike Reese.”

Dylan almost dropped the bucket he was carrying. “Yeah… hi.” Had Jason and Katie actually talked to him? “What can I do for you?”

“Maybe the question is… what we can do for you?”

Dylan set the bucket inside the feed room and closed the door. He glanced around, not really wanting an audience, and headed outside. “I assume you’ve talked to Jason or Katie?”

“And your father.”

Dylan bristled. “Oh.”

“And I think we’ve come to a reasonable agreement.”

“About…?”

“About you coming to Nevada and spending some time with the Elite.”

Dylan’s pulse quickened. His dad had actually agreed? He kept walking towards the bunkhouses, away from any listening ears. “What do you have in mind?”

It was about twenty minutes later when Dylan returned to the barn. Chores were in full swing, and it wasn’t normal for him to be late. Almost running into Ashlee as he rounded a corner, he skidded to a stop, his face flushing slightly. “Sorry. I was… distracted. Um…” He glanced around, feeling totally discombobulated as his mind was going a hundred miles an hour now. “Where we at for chores?”

Choices 

 “I guess we can’t have the best of both worlds, can we?”

Katie looked at Rick and then back at Jason. Feeling him open again she accepted his emotions once more. Even if they both were accepting of their abilities it still felt like there were in no better of a place then they were before. Hiding was not something she liked even if it was necessary. It just made everything more complicated.

I know it does feel like we have some control but at the same time none at all.

Looking at Rick Katie gave him a half smile. She was tired too and happy for the break. He was trying so hard for them and at the same time she felt bad keeping him from his own family.

As he left the room Katie let out a small sigh shaking her head. She didn’t know what was different but Jason was right it was something.

   “Maybe he is just tired of fighting people all the time! We all don’t exactly make it easy on him all the time.”

Sam chuckled a little. Adison would probably never even know since it was rare she was home anyways. She kept the comment to herself though and just continued on with the conversation. Pausing when the food came she was happy with what she had ordered. It tasted good and hit the spot she had.

   “I’d heard that but I really don’t know what’s going on with it. Kirk and Adison handle that stuff, I just get told what to do and do it. Not that I mind to much. I’ll let them handle the hard choices.”

Hearing about Scott’s accomplishment Hope smiled. A little weight was better then nothing and she was happy to know he had put some on. When Scott would come over she always tried to cook hardy meals but light enough it wouldn’t bother him to much.

    “That’s great Scott I’m really proud of you.”

Taking a bite of her own food she was quiet for a long moment before speaking again. Having Scott back at work would be nice. She missed him a lot even if she didn’t see him often there. At least she always had someone to count on for lunch.

    “How are you handling the flow of data? Any control on that yet?”

Weight Gain

Jason nodded his agreement before giving Katie’s hand a squeeze. “Not comfortable at all.”

Rick pursed his lips. “Worse than being found out?”

Jason sighed. “You have a point. Worth tolerating if it’ll save us from being discovered. But how long is it safe for us to stay like that?” He slowly opened up again to end the torture.

“That’s a good question.” Rick studied them both a moment before he shook his head. “Before, cutting each other off was eventually fatal. Now? It’s changed enough that I don’t know. But you both seem to be more sensitive while having more control at the same time.”

Jason had to agree. He looked at Katie’s eyes, searching her face. Trying to decipher what he felt. He never really knew what she was feeling unless she wanted him to. At least she didn’t have to worry about him always feeling her like he did. At this point, he’d count all the positives he could.

It… does feel like we have more control over a variety of things.

“And yeah… I do feel more sensitive.”

Like everything is heightened.

“And more easily recognized.”

Rick quirked an eyebrow. “Care to share the rest of your sentences?”

Jason’s eyes widened. “Dang it, I did it again.” His face reddened slightly. “I keep half talking to Katie, half saying things out loud.”

Rick rolled his eyes. “Well try controlling that or somebody’s gonna think you belong in a nuthouse.”

Sighing, Jason looked back at Katie again before Rick. “I’m tired. Can we pick this up again later?”

“Of course.” Rick stood to take his empty glass to the kitchen. He paused in the doorway and turned back around to look at them though. “I think you both are doing very well, considering. You’re handling this like pros… keep it up.”

When he’d disappeared around the corner, Jason’s eyebrows were still raised.

Was that… a compliment? He really has changed. I wonder why…

Pete chuckled and shook his head. “I’ll leave them be for now. If we leave before they do, I’ll stop and say hi. Hal has… always been a pretty private person.” They’d worked a lot together in the past – before the Elite had gone public. Even so, Pete had never known an awful lot about Hal’s personal life. He just wasn’t one to talk about it much.

He took another chip and chewed it thoughtfully. “Then there’s Ron. I really like working with him. We’re getting along great. I just hope we get to stay together as a team when we move.”

Hal lifted an eyebrow as he grinned. “Not sure Adison would appreciate me intruding, but it’s a deal. I’d gladly return the favor.”

Conversation was kept light, and Hall was glad for a reprieve from his own thoughts about Alison. Getting out was a distraction he’d needed, and in this instance, having Sam around helped a lot. They were partway through their meal when talk turned back to work like it usually did. “So… I heard that new place for the offices is looking good. Reese approved it and so now it’s down to paperwork and approval from the FBI. Have you heard the rumor that teams might be divided differently?”

“Oh, I forgot.” Scott stopped mid-bite as he ate supper at Hope’s house. She’d made some pasta with a very light sauce, which was easy on his stomach. It still was hard to eat, but he was doing better. And besides that, Domino had loved spending more time over here in the evenings.

“I’ve gained two pounds.” He was very proud of that accomplishment, since for a long time now, he’d either stayed the same or lost even more weight. “Justin said if I can get up to eight and I keep improving with our sessions then he’ll tell Reese I can come back to work.”

Lid

Nikki turned and looked in the direction that Pete was looking. Turning back to him she grinned. She knew enough about Pete’s work and the people there to know what and who he was talking about. Shaking her head and dipping a chip in some salsa she finally spoke.

   “I don’t think there would be an issue if you said hi, but they look like they are trying to enjoy a nice dinner so maybe not harass them to to much.”

Sam smiled at Hal after ordering their food. She’d finally settled on the taco salad. Just looking at Hal across the table she studied his face for a long moment. She could tell he meant his thanks and it made her feel good he was thankful for it. She’d hoped she hadn’t intruded too much the last few days and it seemed she hadn’t.

   “You are very welcome. It’s been a pleasure honestly. Just if I ever happen to be having a bad day just return the favor for me.”

10 years…oh no! I don’t think Scarlet

is going to like that. I’ll see you later

tonight.

Sending the text Ryan set her phone down before starting in on her eggs. Hearing Hunter’s comment Ryan grinned feeling her own cheeks get a little warm.

   “Don’t be sorry, I’m not at all. Eli just wanted to make sure everything was ok. I should of called him this morning and forgot.”

Taking another bite Ryan continued to keep the conversation light as they continued to eat. Once they were finished Ryan helped with the dishes. Whiping down the table, and counter she set the towel down before looking at the clock and letting out a sigh. If only she didn’t have to work today.

   “I guess if I am going to get to work on time I better head out. See you at lunch time?”

Getting ready Katie closed her eyes for a moment but still jumped a little at the jolt of Jason just shutting off his emotions. Even when she knew it was coming it still hurt. Starting to feel the warmth herself Katie gave a nod to Rick.

   “I can try.”

Focusing it took a little more for her to just shut her emotions off then Jason. Putting the cover on the boiling post though she winced just a little. It definitely did not feel good at all. Slowly opening her eyes she looked at Jason, and then at Rick.

   “It really is not comfortable at all keeping the lid on.”

Shut Down

Hal’s eyes widened a little and he tried not to laugh. “Well, I guess I feel kinda bad for Aaron… but yeah, that would have been just a bit funny.” He took a sip of water then rolled his eyes. “Now we’ll have to get a new microwave. You know we can’t survive around there without one.”

The waiter came to take their orders, breaking up their conversation for now, providing a short lull before Hal spoke again. “I, um… I think I said thank you earlier today but… I want to make sure you know how much I’ve appreciated you being around the last couple days.” His eyes dropped to study the table as he ran his thumb over a little notch in the surface. “It’s um… it’s meant a lot to me.”

Eli was just lacing up his boots when he got Ryan’s reply, and he rolled his eyes. He trusted her. He trusted Hunter. He just wanted to make sure they didn’t wind up making any stupid decisions because they were getting so used to spending nights together.

No worries.

Just aged me ten years

is all.

He sent it before typing out another message.

Im headed out so I’ll

see ya later. Have a

good one.

Hunter nibbled on a piece of bacon, giving Ryan a little sheepish look. “Not in too much trouble with big brother, are you?” A little color came to his cheeks. “I prolly shouldn’t have suggested you stay last night…” He’d sure slept well though.

“No good.” Rick inserted himself into their conversation again. “Contacts will cover the color of your eyes, but they won’t block out light. Might dim it a little, but it won’t hide it.”

Jason sighed again. “Okay. So. If we can’t control it. If our eyes are gonna glow every time we have more emotions than we should… what does that really mean?”

Rick sat back in his chair and was quiet for several long moments. “Not so bad if everyone in the Elite is aware. Only bad if you’re out in public. Try bringing it on then shutting off your emotions to block it like you were talking about.”

Jason wriggled his hands in Katie’s as he looked back at her.

Okay… here we go…

He let his emotions start to boil under his own will, until he could feel the warmth entering his eyes. As soon as he did, he shut down completely. It gave him such a jolt that he sucked in his breath and cringed, putting a hand to his head as pain shot through his skull.

“Alright… may need to work on a smoother transition,” he managed. He squinted at Katie, knowing she was feeling the pain as well.

Rick grimaced. “You okay?”

“Yeah, I think so. Just put on the brakes too fast, I think.”

“Well, I didn’t see a glow,” Rick confirmed. “So maybe you can work at perfecting this method? You might not be able to catch it every time, but maybe often enough that it wouldn’t be a problem. Katie, can you shut down like Jason can?”

Sunglasses

Taking a sip of water Sam looked at the menu and then back at Hal. There was really a lot to choose from. Taco salad honestly sounded good but the picture of the Fajita’s looked really good too so it was a hard choice for her.

   “Gah, going someplace new it always a challenge on finding something to eat.”

Grinning at Hal she shook her head at his comment giving a chuckle. She did find it kind of funny, and really did wish she could of seen the look on Pete’s face.

   “Well apparently, while I was gone on lunch Aaron wanted to warm himself up a TV dinner, and the microwave malfunctioned. Blew up, apparently scared the tar out of Pete sending him running into the breakroom thinking Aaron was trying to blow something up and the rest is history. It was a rather funny scene in my mind, and from what Wyatt told me it was funny to watch.”

Turning off the stove and putting the bacon onto their places Ryan took the phone from Hunter. Seeing it was Eli she cringed. She should of texted him first thing this morning to let him know she was ok and it completely slipped her mind.

Hey! Yeah everything is ok. Sorry

I forgot to text you. Went to

Hunter’s last night and fell asleep

Watching a movie.

Ryan sent the text before looking at Hunter and grinning. Taking there plates she sent them on the table before getting some coffee. Putting it down as well and saying a quick prayer so they could eat Ryan opened another text to Eli.

Just eating breakfast with Hunter

and then I will be home to change

and shower before work.

Katie thought for a long moment. This whole thing was hard and frustrating. They needed to get this under control before going home, and they needed to go home soon before people did start to wonder what was going on.

   “Well we could always carry sunglasses with us and slap them on when we feel it coming.”

Katie let some sarcasm though to Jason. What an exciting life that would be. Maybe if they worked for the FBI or Men in Black or something maybe that would work but in everyday life…not a chance.

   “Shutting off our emotions for the time being might be good but what if we are in a meeting with Kirk, Adison or Sam and it happens. Might not be so easy to just turn it off without knowing how long that is going to be. What about color contacts?”

Caught

“Mm… well that’s a good thing,” Hunter teased. “I’d hate for you to get tired of me now. You know. After we’ve gotten to be such good friends and all.” He kissed her neck playfully before letting her go so she could finish fixing breakfast.

Hearing her phone go off, he picked it up off the table and bit his lip as he saw the text message flash on the screen. “Uh-oh…” He handed it to her. “Might wanna answer this one.”

It was a text from Eli.

Um… Everything ok?

Noticed u didn’t come home…

Are u with Hunter?

“I dunno.” Jason shrugged lamely. “We know heightened emotions trigger it, right? So… keep our emotions in check and no glowing eyes.”

“Not sure that’s even a realistic goal,” Rick warned. “Even a normal person can’t control what they feel deep down. Jason, you feel too much the way it is. And Katie, you start yanking his emotions out when you get pushed too hard. Neither one of you can help it to a certain extent though.”

Jason sighed. “So are you saying this is pointless?”

“Nah.” Rick shook his head. “I’m just saying that controlling this whole thing may not be quite what you think.”

Jason looked back to Katie and took another deep breath. Okay so… we both know how to make our eyes glow now, right? I get worked up. You take in too many emotions. Either way, we glow. So… If we can’t really control when that happens… Maybe we can shut it off when we feel it coming? It’s uncomfortable but… maybe if we feel the glow coming on, we can shut down just long enough to either let it pass, or get out of sight from other people?”

Hal sent Sam a quick response to confirm he’d pick her up, then let the text conversation end. He stayed out on his patio for quite a while longer, just trying to relax, and dozing off a couple times. Eventually though, he got in gear and cleaned up for the evening, putting on a little nicer clothes. Still casual, but better than the wrinkled t-shirt he’d been in all day.

Once he picked up Sam, it was a short drive to the little Mexican restaurant, and soon they were settled in a small corner table. Hal looked over a menu, and quirked a little grin. “Way too many choices,” he mused. “It all looks good.” He paused and glanced over at her. “By the way… I’m dying to hear what happened to the microwave at work.”

Across the room at another table, Pete munched on a corn chip while he and Nikki awaited their food. His eyes roamed the room, then landed on the corner table. His eyebrows rose. Hal and Sam? That was interesting. Just… two coworkers or… more? He wondered. He took a sip of water and looked over at Nikki, grinning. “Not sure I woulda pegged Hal and Sam.” He talked to her about everyone at work all the time, so he knew she’d understand who he was talking about. “Think I ought to give them a bad time or pretend I didn’t see them?

Impossible

Just letting the moment continue Scarlet soaked in Eli’s gentile kiss. Even little moments like this were nice and she enjoyed just slowing down and enjoy this more too. Being close to Eli was like a cup of refreshing water to a parched soul.

   “I’m glad, I finally have something good in my life and I don’t think I will ever want to let that go.”

Scarlet nuzzled her head into Eli’s neck and shoulder letting out a content sigh. For her at this moment life was complete and things were good. She had been blessed to find Eli someone who cared so deeply.

As Hunter got up abruptly Ryan just sat there for several long moments thinking about what he said. Married? Surly he was joking, just a passing comment. Ryan was almost sure that was what it was. Not that she minded at all. Thinking about it her and Hunter already spent a great deal of time together so being married wouldn’t be all that different.

Giving a shake of her head she laughed and stood heading into the kitchen starting the coffee. It wasn’t much later when she felt Hunter’s arms around her while she flipped some bacon. Just leaning into him while she cooked she let out a content sigh. She could definitely get use to this.

   “Yeah today is my late day. Lunch with you sounds like a great plan. I really think it would be impossible to get tired of you.”

I don’t think I have ever been there either.

Let’s try it.

Worse that can happen is its horrible

And we just don’t ever go there again.

Sending the text Sam was a little excited to try someplace new with Hal. She enjoyed finding new local places and trying them out over chains. It just felt good to support the little places.

Mmmmm…

Why don’t you pick me up tonight?

I should be done here at 6, so how

about 7?

Sitting with Jason Katie concentrated hard on what they were doing trying to figure out how to control their emotions. It almost seemed impossible. Hearing Rick Katie just looked at him and smirked.

Seeing Jason’s eyes start to glow she turned to look in the mirror seeing her own eyes glowing too. It was kind of freaky even to her. Cool in a way, but just not normal at all. How were they ever going to hide that from people when honestly it was bright and stood out.

There is kind of a warm feeling…

Katie just smiled at Jason and shook her head. She didn’t want him to feel bad. If they were going to figure this out then it was going to be uncomfortable and she knew it.

   “Don’t be sorry, just comes with the territory.”

I must agree I like this Rick too. Maybe he needed a vacation more than we did.

Snapping her attachen back to Rick at his comment Katie giggled. She thought it was funny he knew when they were talking to each other.

  “I would assume if we could feel it we could control it. Is there some kind of warning before it happens maybe?”